Nest of The Phoenix
by Inksaw114
Summary: Kaguya kills a man. Mokou kills some rabbits. Past events repeat themselves. Mokou realizes how pointless its all been, and in her despair she decides to permanently leave the Bamboo Forest Of The Lost. What follows is a chain of events that encompasses all of Gensokyo.
1. Smoke Under The Moon

**Lunatic Princess**

Cicadas called out to each other in the branches of the Bamboo Forest of The Lost, each chirping to their own individual rhythms. The thick, musky odor of rain and soggy dirt pervaded the air. A full moon outshined the stars like a ghostly sun. Its pale beams pierced through the thick canopy overhead, creating striped nightly patterns of blue and black against the dulled leafy green of the trees.

Hidden in the center of the Bamboo Forest lay the grounds of Eientei Mansion. Though dwarfed by the ancient trees, its rooftops towered into the sky. Built with a mix of bamboo, rock, and strong magic, Eientei Mansion stood spotless, maintained over hundreds of years. Its smooth walls and polished wooden columns exuding an air of elegance opposite the neighboring wilderness. Electric lanterns in the courtyard hummed as their light bulbs glowed a soft yellow. At the borders of the courtyard, rows of rabbit-eared women stood at attention. Their gaze focused straight, shoulders and chest puffed out, hands cupped behind their back. They were Lunarians, a race of people who descended from the moon itself.

A man's booming voice echoed from the center of the castle grounds, clear and confident, as if hanging on every word. He stared forward, ignoring the humanoid rabbits that surrounded him.

"... Princess Kaguya. I have journeyed far and wide to find you. Yet even through all my experiences I am humbled by your presence. Your beauty is far beyond those of the legends."

In front of the man sat the Lunarian princess. Oversized pink silk robes draped over Kaguya's body, so long they folded out onto the surrounding floor. A red dress wrapped around her legs. She sat on the heels of her feet, a soft mat below her. Kaguya exuded an expression of infinite boredom, glazed eyes drifting without focus. Not even a glance at the man kneeling before her.

"I look upon you and my body trembles. My heart races. Your silky, raven black hair holds a captivating luster. Your skin is as smooth as fine china. Your eyes, as dark as the night sky overhead, gleam brighter than any jewel in Gensokyo."

Kaguya's head twitched, blinking at him, as though just now acknowledging the speaker. Neither of them had ever met before. Yet there was still honesty in his every word.

"I know now that the myths and legends are true. That deep within this forest lies a woman whose grace is beyond compare. A diamond hidden in the dark, the riches within her castle clear even in the artistry of its walls."

She smiled at him now. Her lips spread wide across her face, squinting down upon the man. And every woman in that castle knew what was coming next.

"On my honor, I ask for your hand in marriage. Should you accept my proposal, my gratitude will reach beyond the stars, and I will always be loyal to you even until my dying breath."

Her smile turned into a wicked grin. Both eyes opened wide, irises reflecting the lunar light above. A shrill laugh escaped through her teeth. And then the princess raised one hand to him. From her palm came brilliant white lights, the edges of which swirled with green, pink, and red. The smell of blood and sliced flesh filled the air.

The man crashed facedown to the ground, the holes in his body pouring out blood like water springing from a cave. The moon's reflection smeared itself in his blood like a stroke of silver across darkening paint. He died alone in a lake of red velvet, shadows looming in from all sides. Kaguya's condescending sneer was the last thing he saw before his vision faded.

The princess' sweet giggling rang out like a bell. One of her wrists rose to cover her mouth while her shoulders convulsed with laughter. The oversized sleeves and robe shook with each breath.

"I guess some things never change." The girl's voice was high pitched, smug.

Outside the mansion grounds a pale-skinned girl hid in the cover of low-hanging bamboo leaves. When the first drop of blood had spilled, she wrung her hands in sadness and fury.

The princess' laugh ended with a deep sigh, though still keeping a sadistic grin. Kaguya rose into the air and drifted forward like a ghost. Her chin raised, limbs unmoving, feet dangling just inches above the ground. Her robes and ankle-length black hair fluttered about in a still wind.

"Oh, how nostalgic. A desperate man showering me with gifts and proclamations of love. Brings back such pleasant memories." She sighed again, hovering over the man's body. Then she peered into the bamboo thickets surrounding her. She yelled, her voice echoing through the courtyard.

"Isn't it nostalgic Mokou!? I know you're out there! I know you saw what I did!"

There was no response. No sounds but the callous chirps of the night bugs and the anarchic song of a sparrow singing into the darkness. The princess frowned. Her eyes narrowed, and she squinted at every bush in the encompassing forest.

A woman with braided silver hair walked up from behind. The soft clack of her raised flat heels sounded out from the concrete. A simple dress with an alternating blue and red stripe extended to her shins. On her head sat a red and blue nurse's hat with a solid red cross at the front.

"Lady Kaguya. What shall we do with the body?"

"The what? Oh, yeah just dissolve it with acid or something. Or dump it in the forest. I don't care which."

"Should we send it back to his clan?"

"Sure Eirin. Do you recall what his name was?"

"No, my lady. I was not paying attention when he said it."

"Neither was I. Handle it the usual way."

Eirin nodded and called out to the rabbit-eared servants standing in the perimeter. Two women walked forward. Along with the rest of the servants, they wore uniforms consisting of a black wool blazer, red tie with a white undershirt, and a white plaid skirt.

One of the two ladies was shorter, her oval rabbit ears drooping down the sides of her curly black hair. In one hand, she held a carrot up to her mouth, chewing its tip while she approached the princess. One of Kaguya's eyes twitched when the obnoxious crunches grew louder. The shorter rabbit leaned back, free hand on her hip.

"Ayy, what's up?"

Eirin scowled at her for two seconds before returning to a passive expression.

"Tewi, you and Reisen take this body and bury it out in the forest. Or just feed it to a youkai if you come across one. Either way, make sure it's properly disposed of. I have a theory that the last time we dissolved a body the liquids seeped into our crops. I've been getting a lot of sick calls these past few days."

Tewi stopped gnawing at her carrot, looked at it with raised eyebrows, and spat a piece onto the man's robe. She retched with her tongue out while Reisen chuckled behind her.

Reisen was taller, with long, straight purple hair that ended at her thighs. Her rabbit ears were thin and pointy and stood straight up off her head. A white blindfold was wrapped over her eyes. Though even with her eyes covered, the other servants always looked away when she turned toward them. Reisen bowed, long rabbit ears drooping forward before she rose.

"Understood. Should we join in tonight's battle when we're done?"

"No. You come back and rest. Your eyes still need time to recover after that last fight."

Tewi pumped her fist at her side.

"Sweet! Time to take it easy!"

Reisen nodded, her lips pressed tight. It was impossible to tell Reisen's expression with the blindfold on her head. Eirin stared at Tewi again, one eyebrow raised.

"I meant that Reisen should rest. You're going out there just like the others."

"Oh... right." Tewi swallowed hard.

Through the whole conversation Kaguya had just been floating in the same spot, squinting into the neighboring forest. Her voice nothing more than a whisper.

"Mokou was here. She saw me. She MUST have seen me. But why didn't she come out? I wanted to see her mad... I was hoping... for that same rage as before..."

Kaguya's mutterings didn't even reach her own ears. To the rest of the group her face was twisting, changing between anger and disappointment in the yellow glow of the lanterns. A cold wind blew through the trees, rustling the leaves and flowing through the group's hair and clothes. Kaguya snapped out of her mindless stupor.

The princess rose into the air, higher and higher until she became a shadow on the pale moon above. Her girlish voice now boomed through the castle grounds, beating into the ears of the rabbit-women below. A wicked grin returned to her face.

"My loyal followers. It's time. Prepare for combat!"

* * *

 **Immortal Smoke**

Mokou sat on her meager wooden bed. She sank into the red-stained cushion, and the thin wood below creaked despite her light weight. Her waist-length grey hair was uneven, tangled, knotted with the leaves and twigs from the forest outside. Mud caked at the bottom of her boots. Soil stained through the fabric of her red pants. Her crimson red eyes and milky white skin flushed with the dancing flames before her.

A skewered pheasant roasted on a spit above the fireplace. It's defeathered skin sizzled and cracked in the heat. The aroma of cooked bird pervaded the small shack, escaping through the leaves that made for Mokou's roof before floating through the night-time wind. Outside the shack, all was silent. There were no cicadas to chirp, no birds to sing, no frogs to croak. Every nocturnal animal strayed away from the heat and dry air emanating from her wooden home.

There was a time when Mokou took special care in building her bamboo houses. The immortal girl would take hours planning its layout, imagining where the extra rooms would be, where she would sleep or eat, and what kind of view she'd get when gazing out her open windows. During their construction she would dig through the ground so each new house was built on an even level. She would smooth out the sides with her hands, using her powers to weld the rocks in place. Wooden boards were carved straight. Logs were chopped up and measured in perfect dimensions. Kitchens, closets, and storage rooms were all built with painstaking detail. After finishing each home, she'd wipe the sweat off her face and adorn the inner walls with decorations and mementos of past battles.

Now the walls of her house comprised of thin bamboo trunks mashed into the ground. They were crude and unbalanced, extending upwards but leaning in random directions. Uneven, unrefined. In some sections there was so much space between the trunks they resembled the bars of a cage. Mokou's flimsy shack had no flooring, and the dirt beneath her would shift as insects broke through the surface. For her roof, she stacked leafy branches across the edges of each side.

The wood in the fireplace cracked and clicked. Sparks from the flames jumped and twisted down into the dirt below, some landing a few millimeters from the walls. A few embers touched the dry leaves above. At any moment the whole shack could catch fire, yet she did not care. Every battle ended up destroying what she created. No matter how much effort she put into them, they would always turn to nothing.

Once again her mind wandered to the dead man in a pool of his own blood. Mokou sat frozen still, her body slouched forward, her eyes fixed into a blank stare. Her gaze went on for miles, past the dancing heat in front of her, past the yellowed bamboo walls, past the darkness of the trees. Her hands shook, her jaw refusing to unclench.

She did not know the man, had only spoke with him once to act as a guide through the Bamboo Forest. Yet the sight of his body lying in the castle brought back echoes of a distant life. Memories of a time long past stabbed into her heart. Blurred faces formed in her mind's eye. It became hard to breathe, and Mokou clutched at her chest. The fabric of her dirt-stained white shirt crumpled in her trembling fist. Kaguya's shrill laugh drowned out every noise and thought until Mokou became tempted to punch in her own skull. She gasped and closed her eyes. Tears welled up from within, and she turned her head as one drop slid down her cheek.

She told herself that her sadness and anger made no sense. She had seen this happen before. The man's death was his own fault. Did he not know the stories of Kaguya's impossible tasks for marriage? How they became worse and worse over the centuries until she would just outright kill her suitors? And now the man died in a land unknown. He didn't need sympathy. It was his own fault. He should have known the risk. Did he have children? a family? a clan left behind?

The immortal girl put a hand in her pocket and pulled out a box of rolled up cigarettes. Her lips and teeth pressed onto the butt of one roll. A small flame jetted out of her thumb, igniting the other end. She inhaled through the blunt deep and slow, the ember on the far side growing brighter. The aroma of burnt marijuana melded with the tangy scent of peppered game bird. Mokou gazed up at the full moon behind the leaves, watching the slivers of smoke disappear beneath the stars.

A twig snapped outside her house. Her head jerked towards its direction.

 _Danger._

Mokou's mind was now clear, awake and aware. She heard the blades of grass bending from the weight of a light step. A bamboo wall leaned inward as the intruder brushed a shoulder against it. Mokou could see her silhouette through the gaps in the wood, the tall rabbit-ears of a Lunarian standing up off the intruder's head. She turned her attention back to the fireplace, eyes half-closed, and flicked the remains of the joint into the burning wood. Another deep breath, and she wiped her eyes on the sleeve of one arm.

Outside, the Lunarian peeked through the doorway and saw Mokou rubbing her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. Then she took a step back and crouched down. The rabbit-girl brought her left hand up and concentrated her flow of magical energy into her fingers. Thumb out, pointer finger extended, a dim ball of white light formed in front of her eyes. It grew in size and intensity until her face became illuminated by the magic's soft glow. She had pink hair and brown eyes. Her skin fair and light. The Lunarian watched her magic grow until it became a ball the size of her fist. It was a gun ready to fire, and she gripped her wrist with her other hand. Heart pounding, nervous sweat trickling down her neck, the Lunarian stood up and poised herself to barge in through the doorway.

The Lunarian's eyes widened and she yelped in surprise as Mokou's hand burst through the wall. It grabbed both of her ears and yanked her screaming through the hole. Her shoulders banged against the cracks. There was an electric 'pew' sound as her ball of energy fired into the air. A redish-pink bullet raced upwards into the distance, crashing through the tops of the bamboo trees before fading out into the sky.

Inside the shack, Mokou gripped the Lunarian's ears with one hand, and pushed down on her mouth with the other. The back of the intruder's neck pressed into the broken branches. The stuck rabbit shook her head and gaped at Mokou with panicked, pleading eyes before her neck snapped with a sickening pop. The immortal put one hand on top the intruder's head, and orange-yellow flames erupted from the immortal's palm, incinerating the body.

Mokou blinked. The thing in her hands became brittle, crumbling, blackened. She's killed hundreds of Kaguya's servants before. There was no thought to it. It was easy. Practiced. Automatic. But then... was it wrong?

 _No._

The Lunarian should have known what would happen. Should have known the dangers. She should have known Mokou was immortal and realized that there wasn't any point in following orders to attack.

The wall on which the dead body hung ignited off the burning corpse. Mokou heard a crash behind her, and she turned to face the new intruder stepping through a hole in the other side of her house. The new Lunarian stared at the corpse of her fallen comrade, then at Mokou's stoic face as the flames grew behind her. Her face became pale, and she spoke in a hoarse whisper.

"No! You bitch!"

The assailant raised her hand, magic energy already prepped to fire. Mokou's arm became a blur as she tossed her own projectiles in a horizontal motion. Flames in the shape of bird feathers made the bottom half of the Lunarian's hand explode. Another one hit her on the chest, and she staggered back, grunting in pain. The intruder fired, but her shot veered upwards and blasted through the dead tree leaves. Smoke and fire crawled up her arm and spread out from her chest. Her groans of pain grew louder until Mokou struck her with a flying back kick to the neck. Bones crunched beneath burning skin, and the assailant stood limp, head down. The immortal landed on her feet and clawed her right hand downward through the Lunarian's face and chest. Three lines of fire burned into the air, and the attacker crumpled into three pieces.

Wayward sparks from the immortal's attacks flew outward into the walls of her home. Dried, scattered leaves ignited at the base of the trees. Infantile pillars of fire grew as they climbed each individual piece of wood in the house. Back at the entrance, the blaze from the corpse spread to the roof, creating a swirling wave of yellow and red that burned above her.

Mokou grabbed the pheasant off its spit and bit into it. She ripped the flesh from its bones and gulped down, watching as four more Lunarians stepped through the hole that the previous one had crashed through. The two in back had magic in their hands already primed. The two in front held swords that reflected light off the surrounding embers. A moment passed in which neither party said a word. Their eyes drifted to the burning bodies, then to each other.

"For the princess!" Yelled the swordswoman to the left.

Both sword maidens charged forward, voicing a war-cry that grew louder with the closing distance. They were fast, each step a massive stride that might as well have been a leap. Dirt kicked out from behind them, causing the two gunners in the back to step away.

Mokou chucked the spit rod at them, followed by two more flame-feathers. The one to the left raised her sword and deflected both projectiles, but the one on the right missed her parry. The red-hot feather pierced through her wrist and she groaned while her hand and sword fell to the ground with a dry thump. She gasped and clutched at the singed stump at the end of her arm. Mokou ducked under the remaining sword maiden's diagonal strike and rushed toward the disarmed rabbit. The immortal smashed her palm into the girl's face, and there was a whimper before the Lunarian's head burst in a ball of red-orange flame.

Gripping the dead girl's body with both hands, Mokou spun around. A blow from the remaining swordswoman split the corpse in two. Mokou turned again and held the pieces up as a shield against the two gunner's barrage of magic. Sparks of white, pink, and purple magic cascaded into the ground and stuck to the pre-heated bamboo walls. All three Lunarians brought their weapons down. Their faces shifted between anger, disgust, and fear as both pieces of the dead girl's body smoked and sizzled.

Mokou did two underhanded throws and the two pieces of the corpse flew toward the gunners. Both panicked and shot wild, only to hit the flaming remains. Mokou held an arm forward, palm out, other hand on her forearm as if to absorb recoil. A massive fireball shot toward the two gunners and exploded between them. Both disappeared in a mass of swirling red and yellow. The walls of her house shook and leaned outward from the force of the blast. Then it retracted again, the walls and roof above the gunners breaking and collapsing on them in a pile of crisp bamboo bark.

Everything was on fire now. Particles of burning wood and heat flung into the air and drifted into Mokou's lungs with every breath. What was once her makeshift home cracked and broke down around her. Smoke filled the enclosed space, stinging her eyes. A single thought overwhelmed her.

 _I don't want to do this anymore._

The tip of a scorching hot blade stabbed into her right shoulder. Her bones broke, the blade continuing forward until it pushed its way out the other side. Yet Mokou did not react. She stood there and stared down at the rabbit-girl in front of her. The rabbit shut her eyes tight, coughing as she tried to push or pull the sword stuck in the immortal's body. Her long ears drooped down, and her knees buckled. The rabbit now gripped the sword handle just to stay standing. Her eyes watered while her skin and hair dried out from the heat. She was fighting to stay conscious, her body begging to inhale the smoke in a desperate grasp for air.

The dying rabbit was lifted up and embraced in Mokou's arms. Her chin rested on the immortal's shoulder while she coughed and groaned like an infant, suffocating from the smog. The torrid air dried the sweat off her body. Her mouth moved as though she were saying something, but her throat burned too hot to voice the words. The Lunarian closed her eyes and grit her teeth. Then a hand rested on the back of her head.

Mokou watched the last attacker's body fall to the ground. Blue fire stuck to the hole in the girl's forehead, growing as it consumed the rest.

Roaring flame. Constant, swirling, weaving movement in a dance with no rhythm. Nothing now but the rapid cracking of wood and the furious waves of yellow, orange and red. Mokou did not move, but watched as the walls crumbled and fell. The ashes from the rabbit-girls mixed in with the flaming pieces of bark and leaves that snapped off the walls and ceiling. Even the soil melted beneath her.

This scene was all too familiar. It had happened before, has been happening, every day. Countless times. Night after night. Day after day. A cycle of death without end.

A massive tree trunk from high up crashed into the house and hit her square in the head. Her face and chest hit the dirt with a rough thud. The sword in her shoulder sliced through the side and clattered to the ground. Blood dripped across her face from the top of her head. More blood pooled onto the ground through the hole in her shoulder. It soaked into the soil, boiling and reflecting the fire before turning black.

Mokou's mind drifted. For a moment there was an enveloping whiteness that covered her vision. A few seconds and it dimmed like a lamp losing its strength, and she found herself standing inside a cozy wooden cottage. Sunlight beamed in through shades in the windows, the wood that made up the walls a darkened brown. At the corners of the home, lying in the spotlight of the sun, were the toys and playthings that were hers to keep.

A man with a light physique wearing regal green and blue robes knelt and smiled in front of her. His hand was on her head, ruffling her coal-black bangs. A woman in teal robes sat on a massive bed with blue sheets, beaming at them both. The bed was so soft that the woman sunk into it like it were made from water. This was her mom. The man was her father. And Mokou was so small that when he stood up her head only reached the top of his knee. She didn't mind though, since the loose fabric of her father's clothes were easy to grip, and made for a good climb.

In her childhood, before she gained immortality, Mokou had always wanted to fly. She wanted to be swift, piercing through the woods like a hawk. She wanted to soar through the skies like an eagle, the updrafts bringing her higher and higher into the clouds. Back then, she wanted so badly to touch a cloud. Was a cloud soft? Did it stink? Why did it create rain? Could you eat a cloud? How did it taste?

Her tiny hands pulled on her father's robes as she climbed up his back onto his shoulders. In her mind she was floating through the skies and jumping on cotton clouds. Her parents laughed and giggled while her tiny feet balanced on the top of father's head, arms reaching up to touch the ceiling, a prideful smile on her face. Her father held out his hands in case she fell. And sometimes she would fall, and if she wasn't too high, he would let her hit the ground.

"Yes Mokou, falling hurts. But it's foolish to never rise for fear of falling, and it is insanity to continue falling without learning why you fell. You must learn from your mistakes, learn from the pain, and rise. Never be stagnant. Always move forward."

The memory disappeared. Mokou found herself still buried underneath the massive tree, her house still set ablaze. With a groan, she put her palms on the dirt and pushed herself up. The wood on her back cracked as it rolled off her shoulders. There was the sizzling of flesh as her magic closed wounds and seared them shut.

* * *

 **No Reason to Stay**

Mokou reached into her pocket and pulled out her paper box. The magic seal patched into the side remained intact, protecting it from burning up. She pulled out another blunt and lit it off the fire from the wall next to her. The rolled paper almost reached her lips when a ball of swirling blue and pink energy crashed into the center of the room. The immortal disappeared in an explosion that disintegrated everything. Splinters of smoking wood broke down in blinding light, a soft hum of energy grew louder as the ethereal sphere expanded and lit up the shack.

More Lunarians fired magic from behind the cover of trees. Grey bullets pierced through the air, leaving red trails of magic behind them. Outside the broken shack a half circle of Kaguya's servants fired toward what remained of the makeshift shelter. Their pointer fingers glowed red hot while thin white traces of smoke floated off the tips. Pieces of charred wood and blackened soil blasted upwards from every shot.

Their barrage ended, and the rabbit-women stepped back into the safety of the trees. Princess Kaguya's voice called from above the blazing canopy. Her voice was high, giddy, teasing.

"Oh, this will be good. I am so very excited about our fight tonight. It'll be like a celebration! See, something wondrous happened today Mokou! It was a real trip through memory lane for me. And I bet it was the same for you."

Nothing left of Mokou's home now but a smoldering crater. White and grey smoke billowed up from its sides. It was a suffocating miasma that spread out beneath the clouds. The smoke covered the night sky, blocking the light of the moon and sending the forest into total darkness. Kaguya couldn't see her hands in front of her face. Still no response from within the crater, no light or movement. The force of the projectiles had even blown out the flames. Kaguya frowned.

"You know, I killed a man today. He died asking me to marry him. I would have felt sorry for him if it wasn't all so pathetic! What's funny is that after he died, I couldn't help thinking about you. Now why would I do that? Maybe because he only found me with your help?"

Still no response. No sound, no reaction.

"Or perhaps it was because he reminded me of someone I've seen before? Someone we both knew? But who would that be? There have been so many dirty, low grade scum I've killed that there's no way I could remember them all..."

Kaguya's right eye twitched. She scowled through the smoke. Was Mokou dead and holding off on her revive?

"Oh! I know now! That man reminded me of your father! How could I forget? I mean they both died the same way. Brings a tear to my eyes. Oh the ecstasy I felt when I took a peek at his rotting carcass! Killing him may have been the greatest experience of my life."

A yellow dot appeared within the smog. It floated in the darkness like a lone firefly. Kaguya heard a sigh. It was a deep, slow breath inward followed by an exhale that expelled all the air out of the owner's lungs. A cool, gentle gust of wind streamed in through the trees, pushing Kaguya's hair forward and ruffling her loose robes.

"Mokou! If you don't come out and face me, I'm just going to shoot you again!"

The breeze that swept through Kaguya now pushed the smoke back enough to uncover Mokou's face. She was standing in the middle of the blast zone, the yellow dot from a newly lit cigarette burning from her mouth. Mokou squinted back at Kaguya with an icy, dead stare.

"You don't remember him, but I do. You didn't kill my father. He took his own life."

Kaguya spread out her arms and lowered herself so she floated just above the ground. Her whole body became encased in a ball of light, white and tinted pink like an ocean pearl. The eyes of her servants shined a dull purple in the darkness behind her. To the princess, everyone became dots. The yellow glow was Mokou, surrounded by bright eyes of the Lunarians. Kaguya was the only one to illuminate her full body.

Seconds of slow, agonizing stillness. The servants glanced at each other. Kaguya opened her mouth but Mokou's low, sullen voice cut her off.

"I give up. This is pointless. I'm leaving."

"... What?"

"I'm done. It's over." Her voice rising a little louder.

"... What... are you talking about? Don't tell me you're having a breakdown after dealing with a few useless rabbits! Come on! Where's that furious anger I love so much from you? Attack me! Don't you want to avenge the memory of your father? Your family? Fight me! Show me the fury of immortality!"

Mokou's chuckle had a mocking tone.

"... I loved my family. What they would have wanted... the best way for me to avenge them... would be to leave you."

The yellow dot grew brighter as Mokou took another hit of her blunt. Then it dropped and showed a glimpse of Mokou's dirtied boot before she ground the smoking jay beneath her sole. Mokou disappeared, and there was nothing left in Kaguya's vision but complete darkness. She strained her eyes forward, seeing nothing, hearing nothing but the sound of footsteps in soil fading with its growing distance.

"No way. Face me! Don't think you can just walk away from this!" She shouted into the dark.

Kaguya raised her hand and sent a blast of energy spiraling through the forest, lighting up every tree in a neon pink glow as it passed. In front of it, Mokou's back became visible right before the projectile exploded across her back. Sparks flew out in random directions, and Mokou staggered forward from the hit. But then the light faded away until there was nothing but the dim glow of Kaguya's own bubble. She could hear the immortal girl limping with one foot dragging along the dirt.

A rush of adrenaline pumped through Kaguya's body. The thought of Mokou injured and in pain made her heart race. Her eyes opened wide, a white, toothy grin forming across her face.

The princess floated forward, her arm still raised. Repeated blasts of magical energy rocketed through the forest, tinting the trees and grasses with pink, orange, and purple hues. Each shot was a direct hit. And still she kept seeing Mokou walk away, back turned toward her. Kaguya kept firing, and in the brief flashes of light she saw the girl's body become more mangled with each strike. Spine and chest bones exposed beneath tattered clothes. Kaguya lowered her hand and listened as the sizzle of forest floor once again faded into the quiet.

Another gust of wind, and the smoke and clouds above the trees cleared away. Moonlight spread between the branches once more, revealing the burnt, broken forest. Kaguya stared into the massive crater where Mokou's makeshift home once stood. Drifting forward, she traced the crystalline path of her energy blasts until she stopped upon a mound of white ashes. These were the white ashes of a cremated human. These were Mokou's ashes.

Princess Kaguya scoffed. This wasn't an uncommon sight between the two. Mokou and Kaguya have been killing each other for almost a thousand years. By now they both knew the signs of when the other had "died". A puff of dust rose upward as the princess stomped into the pile. She ground her heel down until she hit dirt, staining her white socks.

Her laugh echoed through the forest, but then something felt off. Kaguya couldn't quite place it. It was like she were examining a rip at the corner of a priceless painting. Kaguya's eyes narrowed, her nose scrunched up in frustration. Then the princess took a deep breath and sighed.

"Huh. How very. Deeply. Unsatisfying... Still, I suppose I can just settle on the next best thing for entertainment..."

She floated up into the tree tops and faced the servants at her back. Her pink and red dress fluttered in an isolated wind. Her silk-smooth raven hair shined in the moonlight. With one hand raised a pinkish-purple orb shot out from one of her palms. One of the servant girls fell clutching her stomach, blood gurgling from her mouth. With shaking knees another of the other girls leaned toward her fallen companion and saw the forest floor beneath the hole in her chest. She went pale and screamed. It was a panicked, tearful cry. A wave of fear spread through the crowd like a virus.

Every one of them turned tail and ran. Some rabbits gave frantic cries between their breaths, running in a straight line away from their master. Tewi sprinted alongside the more experienced of the rabbits. Her group serpentined through the trees, searching for places to lie low and hide. There were a few that concentrated their magical energy into their bodies and took flight. The princess watched them make it past the forest canopy before shooting them down in a hail of pink and blue orbs of magic.

Blood and pieces of flesh rained down across the forest. The dulled green and brown of bamboo trees, glowing in the pale blue moonlight, became striped with a red shine. And beneath it all princess Kaguya laughed, her head leaning upward so the rain of blood splashed across her face.

Often when the inhabitants of Gensokyo described Kaguya's power, they ended up being vague and abstract. The phrase that often came up was that she could "manipulate eternity." What this meant in practice was Kaguya could control the flow of time in an area. It was a power that made the area disappear from the rest of the world and give her control of a person's physical sensations. Under her influence, Kaguya could bend time so that their feelings of pain, pleasure, excitement, or even fatigue could last for as long as she wanted. Under her influence, she could control how many hours were in a person's day, or how long they'd have to bleed before they died. For Kaguya's servants, tonight would seem to last forever.


	2. Cages

**Resurrection**

Like all beings skilled with the magic of Gensokyo, Mokou and Kaguya did not grow old or become weak with age. Their appearance will always be that of a young adult in their mid-20s. Their drinking of the Hourai Elixir had also granted them immortality, allowing both to live on through entire centuries of violence. But immortality did not mean invincibility. Kaguya and Mokou could still starve, freeze, or suffocate. Their bodies could still break. They could still die, but it was only temporary. Neither of them could ever know true death.

Death for Kaguya and Mokou differed from the others who crossed over to the other side in Gensokyo. The two have never seen the Sanzu River, where a reaper would ferry their souls for judgement toward the court of Yama. Nor have either of them seen Hakugyokurou, where phantoms and lost spirits wander across the Death Queen's garden. Tied to the bamboo forest, Mokou and Kaguya's violence brought them neither to Heaven nor to Hell. Neither of them even knew such places were a simple flight away, that Gensokyo was a land in which the spiritual and the physical merged and intertwined into its own reality. Anything was possible in Gensokyo, but for them there was only the constant, repetitive cycle.

When their bodies died the two immortals always entered a special state of death. It was a place without sight or sound. They sensed nothing but a harsh tug across their soul. It was a vacuum pulling them through limbo toward a direction they could not recognize. The pressure grew with each perceived moment until it dragged them through the darkness and forced them back into the constraints of life. If they relaxed and let themselves fall into this strange gravity, Mokou and Kaguya could revive in the same instant as their death, with no time passing between lives. From there the fighting could continue unimpeded with their old corpse already erased from existence.

Now Mokou fought against the pull on her soul. She willed herself to stay, holding on to the nothingness. Her bodiless form pulled and clawed toward the void the way a drowning man thrashes toward the water's surface. She didn't want to go back, wanted to stay, shouted and yelled with no mouth saying that this was better than the repeat deaths that awaited her in the other world. The young girl wondered how many times she's done this during her past deaths. How many times has she wished to stay in this empty state, to resign herself to drift in a peaceful limbo? Like the years and the battles, she has lost track. Even death itself was a futile effort.

In the Bamboo Forest of The Lost a ball of yellow light sparked into existence. It swirled in streaks of red and yellow, the air shimmering with the waves of heat. Buzzing flies in its vicinity fled. An intense wind buffeted the grass below turning the blades brown and burnt. Then the light compressed itself, growing dimmer while the yellow ball shrunk in size. Soon it became so minuscule it disappeared from visibility. It floated above the dirt and dust until it exploded. A concussive blast hit the surroundings as time and space made way for the immortal's resurrection. Her whole body came into being, howling wind blowing into her ears and face.

She opened her eyes and looked down at the ring of charred ground in which she stood. Above her, yellow pillars of sunlight beamed through openings in the forest shade. Mokou's hands were in her pockets, the grass bent outward beneath her boots. The wounds from her earlier "life" had cleared away. Her red pants and buttoned long-sleeve white shirt now impeccable in the light of the sun.

Resurrection was jarring and painful, but it came with a sheer, undulating intensity that coursed through their veins. Mokou's heart thumped against her chest. Every muscle in her body itching to move. She took a moment to breathe deep, to ease her body and mind from the rush of new life. But then she looked up to see the cause of the incessant buzzing around her.

* * *

 **Sunlit Insects**

Flies zipped about, panicked and disoriented by her sudden presence. They zipped about in random twists and turns until they descended to the forest floor. There humanoid hands and feet lay mangled and reddened with dried blood. Skulls of Kaguya's servants were strewn on the grass and behind the rocks, many with their skin pulled taught into the bones. Others still having patches of hair or a half a rabbit ear attached to the top. Mokou squinted at them and saw pieces of white, black, or pink cloth pinned beneath their weight.

Bugs of all shapes and sizes crawled and chewed into the corpses. Beetles, flies, ants, roaches, locusts, mantises, centipedes. Insects so abundant that it looked as though they were the forest floor itself. They were everywhere, like a rampant fungus that grew out of every nook and cranny. They were in the air, up the trees, in the ground. A fetid stench of rotten meat accompanied the noise of countless bugs gnawing at the Lunarian remains. It was a bedlam buzzing, every bug creating a concert of chaos.

Mokou winced as she continued to look around. None of the bugs went anywhere near the immortal. She stood isolated in her own island of overgrown grass while the insects ate away at the remnants of what used to be living, breathing, sentient beings. Her head turned left toward the girl sitting on a rock and staring back with sweat on her forehead.

"Wriggle Nightbug."

"Hey there."

The young girl looked human, wearing blue shorts, and a white long sleeve shirt that was loose and ill-fitting compared to Mokou's. But the two black antennae curving forward from Wriggle's head gave away she was something monstrous. Her short, ear-length wavy hair was a verdant green. Around her neck was a black cape that split in two down her back. Wriggle munched on a Lunarian's leg the way a person eats a cow rib. She looked up from her meal and gave a wary eye toward the immortal. The cape at her back rose in pre-flight stance.

Mokou shifted her weight between each foot as she eyed maggots crawling through the sockets of a nearby skull.

"I always forget. Battles are like storms, it's always the aftermath where things get the ugliest."

"Yeah well, you're not much of a looker yourself."

They chuckled as flies continued to buzz between them.

"What happened here Wriggle? Kaguya killed her servants again? How long was I out?"

"Three days."

"Nice! That's a personal best for me. Maybe a few more millenniums of practice and I could stay dead for a week."

"A week without your crappy cooking sounds pretty good to me."

She smiled. There was nobody besides Wriggle she could make self-deprecating jokes with. There was another friend named Keine, but that person could never stand for when the immortal was in one of her moods.

Wriggle smiled back. A bit of dried blood stained her shirt.

"Thanks for throwing that last fight. It's been a long time since my friends and I have gotten such a feast. And you didn't even start a forest fire this time. Think you could lose more often? It'd be a big help. People getting cut down is better than them getting burnt. My friends and I can't eat ashes."

"There's never a guarantee that Kaguya would attack her servants if I don't fight. She might end up going after you next."

"I'd like to think I'm too weak to hold her interest."

"You're right. She'd just kill you without a single thought before moving on."

Mokou turned her head and squinted at her surroundings. Flies, dried blood and decomposing body parts all around. A youkai girl to her left. The gnarled roots of the bamboo forest passing over the worn paths. A skeletal hand was dug into the ground, its fingers sticking up between the thick roots of a particularly tall bamboo tree.

Facing forward, the immortal could see figures moving about in the black undergrowth. More rabbits. Of course. There were always rabbits, everywhere she looked, watching her, looking out for where they could find her in the night. She looked up again and spotted the sun behind the leaves. Mokou sighed, the thumping in her body now a morose calm.

"I'm tired… of this place. I can't stay here Wriggle. I'm leaving."

Wriggle's eyes darted to the side, then forward again.

"Which means… you'll come back in about a week after you visit your friends right? You'll talk to Keine, get cheered up, and be back to fighting just like before?"

"No… I'm not coming back. Never will."

"Okay…?"

The immortal girl turned and walked west towards the forest exit. One hand went up to her temple and jerked outward to give Wriggle a two-fingered salute.

"See ya again someday. Or not."

And she kept walking. One step in front of other, Mokou moved forward through the path. Disarrayed bamboo trunks lay dead on both sides of her. She made it a few meters before the sound of buzzing rushed up from behind. Wriggle flew in front of her, translucent wings sprouting out of her back under her split cape.

"Whoa hang on. Are you serious? You're leaving forever?"

"That's the idea."

"You can't do that."

The woman's eyes narrowed, and her head tilted down as she scowled at the young girl's face.

"Why not? You going to stop me? Aren't you tired of me burning your friends?"

"You know I am! Always will be! But what do you think will happen when Kaguya finds out her best friend isn't coming back? What do you think she'll do when she doesn't have her fighting partner around?"

"Best friend? partners? You must be sick in the head if you believe that's what we are."

"Well, why do you guys fight each other so much?"

"I've been wondering the same thing. Beating her should make me feel better, but it hasn't. Killing her should've made her change, but she's gotten worse every year. And now a thousand years have passed and I've got nothing to show for all the pain and toil I've experienced. There's no point in me being here. Why not leave?"

"Because you don't know what you're doing. You've got to stay here, for the rest of the youkai in The Bamboo Forest. Or at least come back soon."

"Tell me one good reason I would ever consider coming back."

"Think about it, you and Kaguya are the apex predators around here! Top of the food chain! The two of you cancel each other out, like ice and fire."

"Wriggle, if you keep insisting she and I are friends it's your ashes these bugs will choke on next."

"Mokou, I'm trying to tell you you're a hawk! Hawks hunt rabbits. What do you think happens to rabbits when there's no hawk to keep them in check? They'll multiply and consume everything. If you leave, Kaguya takes over the forest. Eientei Mansion expands, and she'll kill or drive out all the youkai she comes across. Everyone knows Kaguya is the person who goes on killing sprees for fun! You're the one reason she hasn't already hunted down every youkai in this place!"

"Yeah. Because the one getting hunted down is me. Over and over, every day. And when I kill her in return, she comes back even worse than before. I'm stuck here, fighting again and again, accomplishing nothing! It's been the only thing I know! What… What am I even doing? What's the damn point!? One thousand years of wasted time! Goddamnit! Get out of my way Wriggle. I don't want to be here anymore!"

Mokou brushed past her. Wriggle's wings flapped at a breakneck speed, and she flew in front of Mokou a second time. The immortal girl's hair whipped behind her, her clothes billowing in the wind before Wriggle let herself onto the ground.

"I'm begging with you here! If its food and shelter you need, I can get the bugs to make some for you. All you have to do is fight!"

She shook her head. Even getting an entire palace wouldn't change her decision. Wriggle kept speaking.

"Think about what would happen! The rabbits don't just have us all beat in magic, they have technology too! They have insecticide! Poison! Do you have any idea what happens to my friends when they use that? I can hear their voices Mokou! All of them! And we can't fight them. We can't do anything against them!"

"Roaches are survivalists, right? Survive."

"Then what about the humans? If you leave, what do you think will happen to them when they wander into the forest for food? What will happen to the lost without you to guide them?"

"It's been a thousand years of humans getting lost in this place. If they haven't figured out the paths by now, it's their fault for losing their way."

"That's because you guys destroy the trails when you fight. The explosions of your danmaku changes the terrain, so the old paths become unreliable."

"So you see my point. I'm heading out. Watch out for the full moons. That's when Lunarians are the most aggressive."

"... She'll be looking for you. No matter where you go Kaguya'll find you. She's the one who wants you here more than anyone else. No matter how hard you try, there's no escaping that fact."

"Kaguya's how she is because I was the first and only person to kill her. She's the way she is now because of me. But back then I had a purpose for it. Now… it's gone."

Mokou kept walking. Wriggle stood there and let her pass, unable to think of what to say or do. Mokou heard Wriggle's voice yell out behind her, loud and indignant.

"You got something wrong! I'm not a roach! I'm a firefly!"

The immortal listened to the buzzing fade away into the forest. Mokou was alone again.

There was the option to take flight instead of walking, but she decided against it. This was her home for a thousand years, and she wanted to take it all in before she put it behind her. There was no destination for her in mind, and there was no place she needed to be. Instead she walked the worn path, watching the grey clouds overhead disappear behind the shadows of the leaves.

Soon the bamboo trunks became thinner and thinner, their massive heights shrinking until just young sprouts lined the forest path. The darkness of the forest made way for the expansive light of the sun, and Mokou's new white skin burned with the exposure. She took a few steps forward and looked back. There was the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, the darkness of it thickening further in as though it were the mouth of a waiting beast. Its inhabitants played on a person's sense of direction, a forest that doomed the humans that walked in without the ability to fly or cast magic. Mokou shook her head and trudged on, kicking up the dirt beneath her boots.

As she walked a new building came into view. Keine's home. A simple house raised above the ground by thick wooden pillars on four corners. Its triangular roof angled the rain so it dropped around the perimeter like a waterfall. Its walls and flooring were bamboo, though the base comprising a thicker wood hard to find within the Bamboo Forest. She had made Keine's home herself, after they first met hundreds of years ago. It was small, but it was one of Mokou's first works, and she smiled in its remembrance.

Just as Mokou turned to keep walking, she heard thumping from within the house. A door slid open, bamboo and paper moving across the wooden groove on the floor. A voice, high yet mature, called out to her from behind.

* * *

 **Plain Asia**

"Mokou!"

She turned to see Keine walk through the doorway and hover to her. Wind pushed against her blue dress so that it clung tight around her thighs and melon breasts. Her silver-blue hair waved behind her, one hand holding on to her blue pagoda hat while she flew. The schoolteacher's black, pink-ribbon high heels tapped across the ground before she wrapped her arms around Mokou's shoulders.

"You're back! It's been so long! We missed you!"

They embraced each other, before a multitude of heavy steps sounded out from the school. Suddenly children poured out through the door, all of them sprinting through the grass and charging over to the pair. Mokou let go of Keine in time to brace herself for a 6-child tackle that pushed her backwards through the ground. Two lines of dirt extended yards away from where the immortal first dug her toes into the earth. She chuckled and looked down at their excited faces.

"It's good to see you guys again. You've all gotten stronger since I last saw you!" Mokou beamed.

"That's right! Some of us have been training for the whole year since last time!" One boy said, flexing his arms. A girl behind him brought a pack of cards out of her pocket.

"And I've been learning magic! Soon I can join the others in youkai hunting like you told me!"

Keine walked over from the rear, one hand patting a gloomy-looking boy's head.

"How long will you be back? It'd be great to have you as a teacher's aide again."

"Miss Keine said we'd get to take a trip inside the Bamboo Forest, and you'll be our guide!" Another child jumped up and down in excitement.

"Yeah! Are you going to show us where you live?"

"What do you do there?"

The gloomy looking boy peeked up at Mokou, eyes wide in anticipation. But Mokou only stared at the ground. Her smile vanished, lips opening partway. She looked up at Keine.

"You've never brought kids to the forest before..."

The schoolteacher didn't know what to make of the other's obvious pain.

"You've guided people through it. I figured if we found you, you'd know which ways won't lead to us getting attacked."

Mokou shook her head, sad eyes closed.

 _Am I going to go through the same conversation as with Wriggle?_

"Miss Mokou, what's wrong?" Said another boy.

"I... I can't. I'm sorry everyone, but I can't be your guide."

She looked each one of them in the eyes, then looked up at Keine.

"I'm leaving and never coming back. I have no idea where I'll go, but anywhere is fine as long as it's not here."

Keine's eyebrows curved inward.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Kaguya has been getting worse. All this fighting hasn't pacified her, it made her more sadistic, more bloodthirsty."

What Mokou didn't mention was that she was also the one getting worse. The last few battles had left her feeling empty, weakened. It wasn't a physical ailment but a kind of depression, or a madness that forced her mind to drift away into a senseless rage. It was happening more often, especially during fights. Sometimes she'd end up in the aftermath of a battle she wasn't even conscious for. And during those times the memories of her former life would come back and carve into her.

"I can't stay here anymore. I'm remembering things I shouldn't. Things I'm supposed to have thrown away and forgotten a long time ago. Memories and images you already erased."

The schoolteacher stared hard at her, studying her face. Mokou stared back, wincing.

"Keine, I remembered something from back when I was human... the memory was so vivid, like I was there, in that moment in time again. I think... if I don't leave, I'll just get swallowed up by my own memories."

Her words reverberated through her consciousness. Human. She wasn't human anymore. But she wasn't a youkai either.

Mokou waited and watched for Keine's reaction. She waited for the pity, the charity, the fake "I know how you feel" speech. Or the complete contempt of someone looking down on her. The schoolteacher smiled but had a sorry expression.

"You don't have to leave the forest. You can stay with me. It'll be fun!"

A moment of hesitation. Once more came an opportunity for a warm bed, a place to stay, companionship. But then there was Keine always wanting to eat away at Mokou's history. The youkai's magical ability would always pry into her, trying to get into her mind. Mokou shook her head.

"Sorry Keine. Even staying close is a danger. There's no telling if Kaguya would just attack this place outright since I'm here."

"But where will you go instead?"

"I'm thinking the Human Village over to the west. Any attack there would count as an "incident" to the Shrine Maidens, so I'll have protection."

"I don't understand. If you go there…"

Keine furrowed her brow and looked to the side. Disappointment seemed to wash over her face.

"If you're leaving the forest because you're lonely, why not stay with people you know?"

Another memory formed in the immortal's mind. She was standing next to her father, looking up at the stars in the night sky. And he said something that confused her at first, but made her smile now.

"Sometimes the best cure for loneliness is to be alone."

The schoolteacher's eyes seemed to jerk left and right, as though she were struggling to follow the words. Then she sighed with her hands on her hips.

"I don't get it. But fine. Go do what you must do. The truth is I'm glad you're leaving. I've tired of all those violent histories you keep around with you. It leaves a sour taste every time I eat some of it. I can erase all the physical history in the world, but I can't shake the feelings that come with people's memories."

The immortal blinked once, then let out a breath of relief.

"Thanks, Keine. I'm glad you didn't make a fuss about it. If you see someone going into the forest, do me a favour and warn them they're on their own."

"... I will. But please Mokou, don't be stupid just because you're immortal. Promise me, PROMISE ME you won't be dying anymore. And sleep in an actual damn bed for once."

"Hah! I'll do that. After another thousand years."

She turned to leave but Keine grabbed her shoulder and turned her around.

"Your old memories were coming back to you right? There's something you need to know about your past. A history I ate years ago but might be important to you."

"What's that?"

"You were an illegitimate child. The Fujiwara Clan could never recognize you as theirs, even despite your blood connection. That's why you weren't allowed outside during the day."

"... I remember that too. I wasn't a real princess, but my mom still had me pretend to be one. Didn't mind it though. I always snuck out anyways."

By now the afternoon sun descended on the horizon. Another cool wind blew through the terrain. Waves of movement spread through the tall grass, darkening clouds moving across the sky in a slow drift. The schoolchildren laughed and played amongst themselves a few feet behind Keine. Some looked at the setting sun and counted the minutes before it was time for them to head home.

"If you're heading to the Human Village, I might meet you again. I'll be there tonight."

They smiled at each other before Mokou took a step away.

"Sure. Maybe. Take care until next time Keine."

Keine stepped back towards the school. Mokou turned and continued down the empty brown trail.

In front of her lay the rolling hills of the Gensokyo plains. The breeze continued through the grass, brushing her hair to the left and making her clothes cling to her body. She stroked the hair out of her eyes and looked out at the expanse before her. There was the Human Village to the northwest, its brown walls surrounding houses that lined up next to each other within. The Human Village lay wedged between the Bamboo Forest of the Lost and the Forest of Magic that lay north of where Mokou stood. Breaking the horizon to the northwest, far past the Human Village, the Youkai Mountain loomed up into the sky.

"Whoever came up with these names isn't very creative."

She walked toward the Human Village with her hands in her pockets. She leaned back and gave a sigh, her eyes closed, taking in the smell of sunflowers the southern wind brought across the plains.

Another wind came from behind her, bending the grass in a rushing wave toward her back. Mokou's muscles tensed, the hairs at the back of her neck standing on end. She turned and glared down the road behind her. Nobody there. Nothing but the Bamboo Forest in the distance. In the light of the setting sun, the trees wore a sick shade of green. There, above the top of the treeline, a pink spec floated in the dusk.

"Kaguya..." Mokou's voice was hoarse and strained.

The princess was searching for her, scouring all the spots in which she had built her homes. Or she was watching the skies for the telltale wings that Mokou sprouted during aerial battles.

Mokou turned again, hands in her pockets, teeth clenched. Her magic pushed away the dust and dirt before launching her forward in a low glide. She didn't bother with the winding path now, but skimmed up and down the hills heading straight toward the Human Village.

That was the problem with the Gensokyo Plains. It was clear and green and beautiful, but there was nothing there. Everything was open, there was nowhere to hide, nothing to do if you were spotted except fight or flee. There were no resources to gather in the fields, and walking the paths from one area to the next meant leaving yourself open to attacks by wandering youkai.

While she flew Mokou turned back again. The pink spec in the sky did not move. It stayed still, a taunting reminder of what she was leaving behind, challenging her, calling her back.

* * *

 **The Human Village**

Mokou stopped her flight and hovered at the entrance to the Human Village. A brown arch suspended above the open gates. She noted how the walls on the sides were uneven, crooked spikes standing straight up.

"Hmph. Flying from one cage to another."

She entered the village, looking up as the sunset descended further into the horizon. The tops of the buildings glowed with the yellow sunlight, but down on the dirt streets all the colours of the various buildings dimmed into a soft grey-blue. Children with dirtied robes passed by in front of her, chasing each other and laughing while their wooden sandals clacked on the rocks in the dirt road. Up ahead an elderly woman poked her head out of her front door and called out their names. They all turned and ran to her, clambering to get inside as the last rays of sunlight shrunk off the roof of their home.

Further ahead more people walked into the buildings on either side of the road. Workers on the roof of an unfinished house looked up at the oncoming dusk and descended into the floor below. Restaurants and shop entrances closed their curtains, their owners casting magic spells so that the doorways disappeared. Each building became nothing more than rectangular walls with no way in, and no sign of life besides the occasional shadowed movement behind the windows. The crowded, noisy streets filled with people just moments before now transformed into deserted alleys that lay in a still silence.

Then the street lanterns hanging on ropes above the street blinked back to life. They looked more like spirits frozen in place than lights in the darkness. A sound of clattering metal shutters sounded next to her, and she took a step back as a new building opened to her right, in front of the buildings that the townsfolk stepped into. More noise came out ahead. Soon the darkened streets were lit up again by the pale lights from shops that faded into existence in front of her. The lights were low, reaching out and creating shadows that skipped across the rough ground. Figures descended from the sky, human in appearance but with animalistic features. Cat ears, fat frog faces, hulking arms and overbite fangs. Each one of them was different, all strange amalgamations of human and animal.

"Hey missy. How d'you like to be my first customer of the night? Come look! I can guarantee I've got something you'd like. If not, then I can make something for you right here and now!" The shop owner to the right was an old man wearing a green headscarf and a black coat that fell over his crossed legs. He squinted at up at her and spoke with a craggy, gruff voice, wolfish fur across his face and body.

"You look kind of weird. Are you a youkai or a human? Doesn't matter! You look like you can use an extra set of clothes. What hell kind of maiden wears pants? Don't you know all the girls wear dresses? and hats too! bathhouse hats! Come, look. I know you'll find something you'll like."

He beckoned for her to come closer. Palm sideways, fingers waving toward himself. Mokou gave him a smirk and shook her head. The man frowned and spoke in a strange half-growl, half-bark.

"Short on cash? I can make you a deal."

He leaned sideways and grabbed frilly yellow dress from the wall to his left.

"Any other night this would be about 4000 yen, but for you we can make a deal. I'll give it to you for a special price, of 3000. How about it? Excellent quality. Durable as hell. Doesn't even lift when doing your danmaku fights. Nobody will see your goods, not like those weird dresses the other girls do. I am dead serious about how cheap these prices are. Get into a fight with something that can kill you, and if you don't like the dress come back and I'll give a refund. I'll even throw in this matching hat for 2500."

The purple top hat absolutely did not match with the yellow dress. A drop of sweat formed at on Mokou's temple. But she smiled anyways and pulled the pockets out of her pants.

"Sorry. No cash. Can't pay one coin. Besides, I like what I got."

"Pff. Away with you then." He waved her away with a bony hand.

Mokou turned and walked down the street, gazing up as more nonhumans flew in from all directions. Instead of the constant, hurried movements of the humans, the village became crowded with spirits and fairies flying down from above. They sky became filled with youkai, all of them alighting onto the ground or floating in the open space.

Three fairies with clear butterfly wings giggled and floated towards a stall to her left. A male kappa with his round head, yellow beak, and turtle-shelled back waddled his way to the old man with the dresses. Increasing numbers of youkai made their way through the village, and Mokou noticed them all staring back at her with narrowed eyes.

"Is that a human?" She heard two women whisper a few yards in front of her.

"No way. Just look at her!"

"Oh, don't pretend that you can tell just by looking. How about we kill her and find out for ourselves?"

"Ooooh. That's right, human or youkai, she'll have plenty of guts to spill. Looks rather tasty too don't you think?"

"Though she looks rather dangerous..."

They were twin youkai, one with blue hair and the other with red, who both smiled and bared fangs that protruded from their bottom lips. Two female oni.

The immortal girl faced forward and walked with her hands in her pockets and thumbs hooked to its edges. Chest out, chin up, shoulders swinging. She stared them down as they passed her by, her face in a dead frown that spoke a wordless challenge. 'Go ahead. Try me.'

Nothing happened. Both oni broke eye contact and tilted their heads down as they walked forward.

her wandering continued. Another vendor grabbed her leg, making her jump and stomp down on the green, oiled tentacle wrapped around her foot. The owner didn't seem to mind. It was a middle-aged woman with green tentacles for hair and oil slipping off her gelatinous body. Mokou could see through her transparent mass, the world a trembling green on the other side. In her thick tentacle arms, she held a wooden box filled with brown paper rectangles and white squares. Each one marked with random shapes and childish scribbles. It was obvious they were worthless imitations of actual shrine maiden charms. The vendor sounded like she gargled water past every word.

"Anti-magic seals. Protect you from youkai hunters. Buy enough and be able to fight off even shrine maidens."

Mokou looked down and gestured at the red and white rectangles sewn into her clothes.

"These are all I need. Thanks."

Mokou only half payed attention to the street vendor. At the corner of her eyes she caught the stares of more youkai, curiosity and hunger playing across their face. Their eyes glowed, and misshapen mouths gaped and bared their teeth. A woman with a plain brown robe and cracked face leered at her with a toothless grin.

The saleswoman squinted and gave her an apprehensive look. Mokou returned the glare and wondered if she should show her the orange charms stuck to her forearms beneath her sleeves. The vendor spoke again.

"You don't appreciate these seals. I see now, you are a killer. Offensive, not defensive. Then how about a book? To kill and cook humans. Much enjoyment for strong youkai like you. Lots of recipes."

A chill ran up Mokou's spine.

"No. Show me that and I'll burn you to cinders right here where you stand."

The immortal ignored the woman and stormed further down the street, only making it a few more steps before being hounded by another street vendor. A fox-faced man went up to her rolling a weapons cart behind him. Pole arms, swords, and shields stuck to the cart's sides.

"Fight like the humans do! Ever been impaled? Give them a taste of their own medicine! Learn the mystic-"

Mokou didn't even bother speaking or looking at the guy. She walked straight ahead, fists clenched, eyes darting from one stranger to the next. They crowded around her. Some looking at her, others avoiding eye contact. They were in the air, behind her, beside her. Everywhere Mokou looked there was the sense of imminent danger. She was being watched, followed, and her skin tingled with an electric heat that always came right before a magic bullet whistled toward her throat. She continued forward, walking faster and faster, the lights so much brighter than the dim lanterns and moonlit reflections of the Bamboo Forest.

Everywhere she looked was another youkai, every movement a potential attack. Mokou grit her teeth, her fists clenched at her side. Eyes everywhere, watching, always watching. A burning sensation rose beneath her skin.

"What the hell is this place? I shouldn't have come here. This was a mistake." She whispered to herself. "Whoever named this place was a fucking idiot."

And then she stopped and stared straight ahead. Two Lunarians were in front of her, right in the middle of the street. Their black blazers and white skirts out of place among the flowing dresses and loose robes of the youkai around them. One was curly haired, droopy eared, calling out with a voice like a carnival side show announcer.

"Need a miracle? Get clinical! Eirin's miracle pills! Drugs prescribed by the greatest doctor in Gensokyo!" Tewi hopped around from one customer to the next.

The other was taller, with light purple hair and pointed ears.

"That slogan sounds retarded." groaned a blindfolded Reisen. Her straight pointed ears twitched as she jerked her head towards the people that passed her by. Two fairies waved their little arms in front of her face, one of them sticking her tongue out at the rabbit before both fairies laughed and flew away. The Lunarian didn't bother reacting to them.

Reisen's nose started twitching. She leaned her head upwards while sniffing the air. Her nose twitching became rapid, nostrils jerking up and down as she turned her head side to side. Then her head aimed straight down the road as if her blinded eyes spotted the immortal in front of her.

"No way... you're here... of all places."

The Lunarian's open box of drugs clattered to the ground. Loose glass bottles popped out of place and rolled along the dirt, making a chink sounds as they bounced into the rocks. Reisen shouldered her way through the crowd, arms tightened, head leaning down. Mokou didn't move, just scowled straight ahead, her arms and shoulders tensing up. The blindfolded rabbit inched closer and closer. Step by step, foot by foot, she closed the distance. Reisen's nose twitched and jerked out in random directions while her hands glowed a pinkish white. Her voice took on the quality of a growl.

"I know you're here. I know you're near."

Mokou's own hands grew hot, yellow flames climbing up from the fingers of her clenched fists. White smoke drifted up her arms and disappeared into the pale lights of the village street. Reisen's jaw tightened, lips pulled upwards as though she were baring fangs. Her voice was a hoarse whisper that still cut through the bustle of the market to reach Mokou's ears clear and crisp.

"You... you did this to me..."

The Lunarian aimed a pointer finger at Mokou's forehead. Its tip glowed white hot, a pink dot expanding outward like a budding flower. The immortal didn't move, said nothing. She stared at Reisen's blindfold, waiting for her to fire. She waited for the pain, her muscles tightened like a spring, her entire body ready to give an all-out attack once the rabbit fired the shot.

"I was so proud of my eyes... but now..." Reisen choked. Her words shaky and sad.

Tewi's voice called out from behind her.

"Reisen! Where d'you go!? I made a huge sale! The people want more drugs!"

Reisen hesitated. Her arm wavered as though it became too heavy to hold up. Her head turned back toward Tewi, unsure where to look. When the Lunarian faced forward again Mokou had already stepped to the side and slipped into a space between the buildings. A humanoid couple with small bodies and intertwined necks walked in front of the alley in which the immortal escaped. The blinded Lunarian reached in front of her, felt nothing, then tightened her fingers into a fist. Her hand shook, knuckles turning white.

* * *

 **Leaving Home**

Pale light from the streets crept into the alleyway, showing little of the brown dirt and grey stone walls on either side. Mokou walked backwards to make sure she wasn't being followed before turning back to the shadows. Further within was pitch black, unnoticed and untouched by those outside. Laughter and shouts from either end mixed until they became white noise in the girl's head. The immortal girl trudged to the other street, the lights in front of her mirroring the lights from behind.

Mokou stopped at the threshold between light and dark and slid her back against the stone wall. She sat with one knee bent and raised, eyes half closed as she watched other strangers wander through the crowded streets. Some youkai brought their own luminescence, their multi-coloured scales and magical auras blending into the organized chaos. In the shadows, the girl gazed into the light and told herself that maybe she was fine where she was. The wood and brick walls of the human village were just like the walls of her homes within the Bamboo Forest. Though there were enemies now just as there were then, this place was nothing she hadn't dealt with before.

It took a few years in the Bamboo Forest before Mokou got used to sleeping while sitting. It was always too dangerous to lie down. Even if she had a bed, she'd sit with her head up, face aimed toward the openings of her shelter. The human village was no different. Body relaxed. Back against the stone wall. One eye half open just a crack. Mokou was always in constant watch.

Or she only seemed to be. Even with her eye open her consciousness slipped between dream and reality. The thoughts within wandered. Another memory enveloped her mind.

The immortal girl remembered how quiet the house of her childhood was. When the sun set, and the color of the sky transitioned into the darkened blue of night, all became silent and still. The constant hurrying and chatter of the family servants made way for the sounds of tiny animals scurrying across the cobblestone steps of the garden. Mokou would sneak out of her room, and open the doors with harrowing slowness so as not to wake her mother. Once the hallways were clear she'd sprint out into the garden to catch sight of the animals that wandered in. Foxes, wild cats, raccoon dogs. She'd give chase towards every animal only to crash and trip over the roots of the bushes and bonsai trees scattered through the rectangular landscape. And every time she did so, she'd lose them past the castle walls.

Sometimes Mother would wake up in the night and call out to her missing daughter. Her voice would always start off groggy and croaked, then got louder and more panicked the longer it took for Mokou to get back to the bedroom.

Back in the alleyway, Mokou snorted in her sleep. It's been a long time since she first stepped foot in Gensokyo. Chasing animals seems so foolish now. Out in the real world, past the boundary that separated the dimensions, humans ruled the land. But any animal in Gensokyo was a potential youkai in disguise.

There in the garden of her past, floating between memory and dream, Mokou saw her father. It was a cloudless, moonless night. He stood on the wooden patio and stared up at the stars. Young Mokou bounded toward him, an excited smile on her face.

"Father?"

"Oh! Mokou, you scared me. Shouldn't you be asleep? Your mother will be furious."

"How come you're awake?" said the little girl, directing attention back to him.

"Oh... I have no reason. Just admiring the night sky."

"Mm."

Both stood side by side. He looked up at the twinkling lights. She looked forward at the rice fields past the wall.

"Mokou, have you ever heard of the story of Princess Kaguya?"

The young girl grit her teeth and looked away. She hated that story, but it kept being told to her again and again. Her mother told it to her at night, and during the day she'd hear of it from children playing outside her window. Servants would speak of Kaguya's riches. Grown men would talk about her beauty, and how lucky it would be if they were the one to propose to the princess next.

Kaguya. The girl found in a bamboo sprout and adopted by a poor elderly couple. Along with Kaguya, the bamboo tree had also produced a massive sack of gold. With their newfound wealth, the elderly couple gave the girl her own castle and deemed her a princess. From there she drove away all her suitors to live a life of opulence and comfort.

Mokou despised that girl. She couldn't understand why she had to hide herself away while that princess grew up with everyone singing her praises. It didn't make sense. What was the difference between her and Kaguya? That Kaguya came with a pack of gold along with her body? Was that it? Was that all it took?

"You know, the stories speak of how Kaguya would stare up at the sky on nights of the full moon, like I am now." Her father's words were slow and contemplative.

"Mm."

"They say in the stories that even when given the life of luxury, she dreamed of returning to the fields. It was there she could be free and happy."

Young Mokou winced and leaned left to right on her feet. Father was wrong. If Kaguya wanted to return to the fields, then Kaguya would stare at the ground, not the sky.

"Father? When are you and mom going to get married?"

Her father looked down at her, his face frozen. Then he sighed and put his hand on her head, brushing her hair.

"I'm sorry. Soon. Maybe. But for now, I cannot. My first wife must be someone of noble birth, and perhaps then I can take your mother as a second wife."

"... That doesn't make any sense."

"...I know."

They both stood in the garden. A bird tweeted. The stars above disappeared as clouds blanketed the sky.

"You know Mokou, sometimes I wish I could leave this place. I want to visit the village market as a peasant. Just to see what it's like, to see how pepole would look at me if I wasn't what I am. I'd be a villager like them, living a simple life, free from all the useless politics. At least just one night to be free."

He looked down at the walled garden below and sighed through his nose. The young girl squeezed his hand and peered up at him.

"Can I come with you? To the village? And the market too?"

His eyes brightened.

"Yes! I would love that! We can just do it for tonight and be back within a few hours... But... It might be dangerous. If anybody there finds out who you are or who I am then... Mokou, just make sure you stay close okay? We must go out in disguise. Incognito."

"Okay!" Her heart beat against her chest and she smiled as wide as her face could allow. For the first time, she could leave the castle.

"Quiet now. Go get your plainest clothes. Fashion yourself like our farmhands do."

"Mother should come with us!"

But they both already knew what would happen. Mother would want to stay inside, surrounded by riches and shelter. And she would forbid Mokou from leaving and rant of the dangerous men and wild animals out in the world.

"Don't mind her." Father would say. "She once told me that she has always dreamed of living in a castle, to live the life she believed she'd never get as a child. I made her dream come true. Let her enjoy it. Let her rest."

Mokou's cheerful eyes went downcast.

"Okay."

The dream changed. For a second the world turned white, the color still visible even when Mokou shut her eyes. The light dimmed until trees and rocks took shape before her. And a young Mokou found herself on a mountain plateau. Shades of lime and fern green bushes all around. Young Mokou found that her body was older, taller, more developed. She looked down to see herself wearing brown rags. They clung to her, wet, dirtied and thin. Blue bruises and red cuts covered her body from the weeks of living out in the wild.

In front of her was her mother standing at the edge of the plateau facing the ocean. Mother's coal-black hair had become a tangled mop. Her silk red kimono had ripped and stained at the edges. Young Mokou held up her hand and screamed. She ran forward as fast as she could, her bare feet pounding across the rocky path. The little girl watched her mother spread her arms, palms forward. Then her mother stepped off the edge and crashed into cliffs below.

Mokou woke up with a pain in her chest. It spread to every part of her body, a raging fire destroying her from the inside out. It was everywhere, in her hand and feet, in her lungs, consuming her. She hugged her knees and buried her head in her arms. Moisture welled up in the girl's eyes until it flowed down her cheeks. A droplet soaked into her chest. And then another. The first few drops of rain before a storm.


	3. Asa Kazehira

A scuffling in the dirt in front of her. Mokou looked up from her crossed arms and saw two people stumble into the alley. One was the same gloomy looking boy from Keine's class. He was crying, his brown bangs covering his eyes while he sobbed into his wrists.

"I followed her but... now I... don't know where she left to. She disappeared… And there are all these monsters around."

The other was a young man. He had light skin and wore black shoes, navy blue pants and a thick, collared grey shirt. A brown traveler's bag wound around his back, tied with brown leather straps. His short, tousled black hair parted to the side, the bangs ending just before his left eyebrow.

She scoffed and whispered under her breath.

"Tch. Pretty boy."

Still, Mokou squinted at him, studying the man. His shoulders were broad, his jaw strong and square. But the most striking feature were his blue eyes. They were a deep dark blue. Dark like the sky right before dawn and just after dusk.

"Wait. I'm confused, who do you mean by 'she'?" The man asked.

"Miss Keine."

The boy sobbed again. He walked back out into the street, hands still in his eyes, his half steps making him trip over loose rocks.

"Watch out!" A quick motion and the man pulled him back into the alley. They both pressed themselves to the wall as four green-skinned youkai with limbs like stilts shambled across their view. The boy turned and wailed into the cold black stone.

The man scowled and scratched the back of his head with one hand. Then he knelt down and turned the boy so they looked each other face to face.

"Hey come on, stop that already. So... you left your house after seeing the teacher and lost her. Seems simple enough. Hey, I've got an idea. Just roll with me, it'll help. How many fingers am I holding up?"

The boy sniffled again, then narrowed his eyes at the raised fist. Mokou raised an eyebrow, watching from the shadows.

"Concentrate. How many fingers am I holding up?"

"How is this going to help? I'm not blind!"

"Good! That's the first thing I needed to figure out. Now the 2nd thing is whether or not you're dumb. How many fingers?"

Gloomy Kid glowered at him like a snarling puppy. He turned his head towards the upheld hand.

"Two. Now Three. Stop changing them so fast!"

The man smiled.

"Good. You've got your wits about you. And I don't have to ask about your hearing because we're already talking. Now look to the streets. Remember what you're searching for."

Outside the alleyway a trio of fairies zipped past their view. Their translucent butterfly wings reflected the pale streetlights in random directions.

Then a blue-haired girl with mismatched eyes hopped by on one foot. Sandals clacking across the ground, the gargantuan umbrella in her arms blinking with one eye and a massive flopping tongue. She kept repeating "Boo!" with each hop. The man gave a sly smile, and Mokou got the impression he was looking at the blue-haired girl's thighs past her short skirt.

The man kept talking as he gazed outward.

"Watch this place. She's out there somewhere. Watch and listen closely. You see the youkai? You hear the music?"

The boy nodded though his attention centered on a skeletal lady in a white dress crawling on the floor.

"Noticed something? You're not crying anymore. You can't find what you're looking for when you've got tears in your eyes. You won't be able to hear it if you're sobbing. Find what you're looking for first, then you can shed all the tears you like."

Mokou smiled at the man's words. Gloomy Kid stared up at the sky. His head turned left and right, following the paths of the youkai wandering before him. He blinked hard to force the tears off his face, then gawked transfixed at his surroundings.

"I've… I've never seen these people before… Never heard this music."

Mokou listened. Louder than the rabble and mixed voices came the sound of a quick tempo song. One instrument being played was high pitched, ringing quick and metallic like a tiny set of drums.

"This is our world beyond the village. All the forests and mountains are full of these spirits. But for every handful of stories in which youkai are murderous, there is at least one story in which they are kind or passive. It's rare that youkai come here in such force. This may be the only time in the year you get to see such a sight. Blink once, and you'll miss it."

Both males turned their heads, following each new species of youkai. Mokou did the same, watching the youkai laugh and barter amongst each other. The girl in the dark smiled as she remembered some of the names for each type of demon, studied in earnest back when she was a little girl. Yet she couldn't help but focus on the man in front of her. She watched him lean back against the wall while the boy peeked out from his corner. He faced towards her without realizing she was there.

He scanned the alleyway, head turning left and right. His gaze hovered over to where Mokou sat in the shadows and squinted at her pale form, straining his eyes. Another demon passed by in the street outside, and he turned to watch it pass. A few moments of stillness. Then he did a double-take back to Mokou. Now he tensed up, eyes wide, face frozen in surprise at discovering her presence. For several seconds the two of them watched each other like animals in the wild, neither person moving a muscle.

Then the man breathed out, slumped his shoulders back into the wall, and relaxed once more. He stood with the light reflected off his skin, his blue eyes dark against the pale glow. The immortal sat in the shadow, her crimson red eyes dimmed in the darkness. They smiled at each other before turning back to the youkai on the road.

A female youkai with long bullhorns extending straight up off her head walked past. Her black, pink ribbon high heels clicked against the ground. Her green dress hugged her thighs and buxom chest as she moved forward. A red ribbon hung tight off one of her horns, the cloth fluttering in the wind, giving the fearsome spikes a dainty appearance.

"Miss Keine!" The boy squawked before rushing out into the street with arms open. Keine gave a little high pitched yelp as the boy hugged her waist.

"Eeek! Suji!? What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you! I saw you walking around and wondered why you weren't hiding like everyone else! It's dangerous! There are monsters everywhere! ... Why do you have horns?"

"You've been wandering around here all by yourself?" Keine ignored his last question.

The boy shook his head and pointed back toward the alley. The man waved at her with an easy smile. Keine beamed at him, one hand coming up to smooth a lock of her hair. She looked down at the boy.

"And you didn't ask why he's here?"

Suji blinked while his face grew red.

"I was more worried about you."

Keine's smile widened, and she tilted her head to one side. With one hand she brushed the boy's hair before peering up at the man still in the alley.

"Wow… It's been a long time Asa. You've... You've grown up!"

"And you're as young and gorgeous as ever Miss Keine. Nice horns."

Keine tilted her head down and gripped the hem of her skirt. Her cheeks blushed pink.

"Oh you didn't need to say that. And the horns... Well..."

Still unnoticed by the trio, Mokou put her head back and rolled her eyes. She had no interest in listening in on this conversation. Still, she made no move to reveal herself.

"Anyways Suji, you shouldn't have worried. Of course I'm fine! Come on, lets bring you to your parents. I know they're worried sick."

"Alright."

Keine looked back at the man in front of her.

"You should join me Asa. We could catch up after all these years, and... perhaps even keep each other company after we drop him off?"

He shook his head.

"Sorry. I'm already meeting someone here."

The smile on the schoolteacher's face faded. She turned left and right, staring down the street as if to spot another woman walking toward them.

"Are you sure? It's not safe tonight. You could get lost with everyone putting spells on their homes."

He shrugged, though his eyes stayed locked with her's.

"You're still on about that? Getting lost ain't so bad. The more you lose your way, the more you recognize where to find it again."

Keine blinked twice as if about to protest him. Then she ran a hand through her hair, letting one of her locks fall behind an ear.

"The more you're lost… What a strange thing to say."

Mokou sat slumped back watching the whole exchange, wondering if this is what being a voyeur was like. It was only a little different from spying on a lunarian encampment.

Suji tugged on Keine's dress.

"Come on! Let's go!" His voice was high pitched and whiny, though there was a fierce expression on his face as he stared down a glob of purple slime that rolled through the walkways. Keine nodded at him then turned back to Asa.

"By the way…"

The schoolteacher fidgeted where she stood, one arm grabbing her elbow.

"There's someone else you might be interested in that came to the village tonight… White hair, red eyes."

He smiled again.

"Isn't there always someone interesting though?"

"Hah. Of course that's how you would see it. But please keep an eye out for her. I'm worried she might hurt herself or somebody else... Do be careful and take care okay?"

"I always have. And same to you Miss Keine."

The schoolteacher giggled.

"You can just call me Keine now, Asa. You're not my student anymore.

"I'd like to think I've still got a lot to learn."

"My, don't we all? Student or not, I'm happy to have seen you again. You ended up a fine man. Come by the school sometime. I'd like to find out how much you've matured."

Keine expressed a mischief that Mokou had never seen before. A flirtatious grin and fluttering eyelashes. The schoolteacher bit her lower lip as she stared at back at Asa. All of them turned to spot a few male youkai in the distance gazing at the lady in green. Keine giggled again and took a few steps back, her high heels clicking on the ground.

"See you around."

* * *

They waved each other goodbye before Keine turned to leave. Suji stuck to her waist, fingers gripping her dress. Asa leaned back against the wall, the left side of his body illuminated by the streetlights. He gazed at his old schoolteacher disappearing in the crowd before looking back at shadowed corner. Mokou watched him in turn. With slow movements the immortal reached into her right pocket until her fingers grazed the paper box of cigarettes. The man squinted at her, trying to focus his eyes on the strange movement in the dark. For an instant, the space around Mokou lit up with orange light, revealing her appearance. Then she disappeared again, an orange dot from the joint still visible, her silhouette haloed in the grey smoke trailing up her face.

The man spoke first before she could.

"Why didn't you go with her?"

His expression was a mix of caution and curiosity. Eyebrows arched, but body and mouth relaxed. An amused smile played across his lips while he focused his eyes on the ghostly presence before him.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. You realize she was flirting with you right?"

He scoffed and looked away, unfocused and lost in thought. When he looked back at her, there was a twinkle in his eyes that Mokou couldn't help but stare back at.

"I could have gone with her, maybe even have spent the night. But I'd rather not trap myself in the past. I'd rather stay here, where among the demons and monsters is a chance for something new. Every choice in the here and now creates a new world.

Asa never took his eyes off Mokou. He reached down and untied a yellow bamboo flask from the string on his belt. It was cylindrical and thick as though sliced clean from the bark of a bamboo tree. When it became free, he held it out to the woman.

"... and the world I want to make right now is one where I share a drink with a lady who needs it."

The two stared at each other. Even in those few silent moments the smile on Asa's face never wavered. When Mokou responded the hesitancy in her voice betrayed her surprise. She didn't quite sound as cool and collected as she would have liked.

"Wait… the lady you're talking about is me?"

Asa looked like he was about to burst out laughing.

"You're the best looking babe in this whole town. Nobody else."

"... What about the person you're supposed to be meeting right now?"

"I already met her."

Mokou squinted at the man before her. It wasn't clear if he was being serious or just saying a bunch of nonsense to mess with her. The immortal gave a loud sigh, but she couldn't help but smile back at him. She hoped he wasn't able to see her expression.

"I'm sitting here in a dark alleyway. Can't you tell that I'm someone you should leave alone?"

Asa blinked once and shook his head.

"Monsters and demons are parading across the village. Nobody should spend a night like this alone."

Her smile softened, eyes looking down.

"I am one of those monsters."

"Not to me."

The immortal woman closed her eyes and turned her head away. A cozy warmth grew inside of her, and she wanted to punch this idiot in the face because of it. Instead she spoke up loud and confident.

"Alright. Sure. Just a sip though."

The man took a step forward out of the light, into the shadows. The sound of his footsteps were light against the ground. She looked up at him as he walked closer. Her head turned away as her heart skipped a beat. The bangs of her white hair half covered her eyes while she took a breath through her cigarette. Asa sat beside her in the dark and poured his flask into its cap.

"I don't have any money." The immortal said when he held out the drink.

"I'm not asking for anything in return."

"It's not poisoned is it?

Asa tilted his head back and drank the cap like it were a shot. He poured into it again and offered it to her once more.

"That doesn't tell me anything. You could be a special youkai that's immune to whatever is in there."

He smiled and drank straight from the container. Mokou scoffed. If she wouldn't have any, there was always more for him.

"What if I kill you and take everything you have for myself?"

He shrugged his shoulders and cocked his head to the side.

"Go ahead."

The immortal girl reached out with one hand only for the man to pull back at the last instant. A coy smile on his lips. The liquid swished within its wooden container.

"What I'm holding is a product of powerful magic. I can't give it to you for nothing. How about a trade? A bit of what you're having for what I'm having."

She gave him a blank expression, scrutinizing his face before taking the blunt out of her mouth. He took it in one hand while Mokou relieved him of the whole flask. Asa scowled at her with half-closed eyes, before shrugging and gulping down the sake in the cap.

"You sure you want to take a hit off those cigarettes? They're also the result of magic. You could die from them."

"Seems like a fair trade. You're handling it fine after all." Asa handed Mokou the cap, his face scrunched up from downing so much alcohol at once.

"That's because I'm already sort of dead."

He grinned and took the joint between his fingers, his movements remaining smooth and quick.

"Death's not so bad if that's how I'd look."

She smiled again before shaking the flask next to her ear.

"Half empty." She muttered.

Mokou brought the mouth up to her nose and sniffed the contents. It was strong with the aroma of ripened fruit, a sweet-sugary mix that she couldn't quite recognize.

"And you're not supposed to shoot sake. You're supposed to take it slow, enjoy it, note the flavors."

She cupped the flask in both hands and tilted it down, lips pressed onto the mouth of the container. The clear liquid of its contents slid down her throat slow and smooth. The strength of the man's alcohol was almost overwhelming. It was strong, thick, almost creamy, a tangy-sweet flavor cooling her tongue, before drying out as she swallowed. It made her want to take another swig. Mokou watched Asa from the corner of her eye. Hemp smoke drifted up from the man's mouth. Quick inhales through his mouth, and a pause as he held his breath for several seconds. He was letting the smoke roll within his lungs, the fumes being absorbed into his body. A slow exhale breathing out, the smoke climbing over his face and through his hair.

"What is this?" She asked.

Mokou held the flask to her side while raising her forehead at him. Without thinking, her hands tilted the drink into her mouth a second time.

"The elixir of life."

She almost choked. Her face scrunched up, and she resisted the urge to do a spit take. This man was screwing with her. Did he not appreciate who he was talking to?

"No. I've had the elixir of life. Tasted much more bitter. What am I drinking really?"

He kept his relaxed smile while his voice remained jovial.

"It may truly be the elixir of life. It's alcohol from a magic gourd that never empties. A gourd owned by Suika Ibuki herself."

"I don't know who that is."

"The one who started all this."

He gestured toward the roving crowds outside the alleyway.

"She's the oni who gathered all the youkai she can into the human village, all under the promise of free sake. For the past four years, on this night, all the more sociable youkai come together to party in the Human Village. They talk, drink, and play music. Alot of them try to sell odd nicknacks. Not much different from any other night but the sheer number of youkai increases."

"Hm... So that's what you were talking about earlier. Rather gutsy for a human to just walk up to an oni and ask for sake."

"It helps that she's a happy, drunken midget."

Mokou gave a light giggle, and he looked at her through the corner of his eye.

"Sometimes even the more solitary ones gather here. And people get to see youkai they've only seen in stories. That's why they've called this day the 'Demystify Feast', where all the myths and legends lose their mystery and reveal themselves plain as day. It's ironic everyone's still scared of them."

Mokou leaned her head back and looked up. Above them, between the stone walls came the shine of distant stars.

"I can't blame them. Youkai will only reveal themselves to be exactly as bad as people assumed. Gathering youkai in the human village only leads to more people getting killed."

"I don't think so. Most times they act just like humans."

"You mean when they aren't trying to rip each other's throats out?"

"Humans do that too. But that's the interesting thing about it. People might be selfish, but it all coincides with each other because its what they all have in common. They end up helping each other because of it."

"Helping each other, huh?"

Mokou crossed her arms and stared downward. Everything he said was opposite of what she observed so far. Her mind drifted to the shop vendors selling objects for killing, and the red and blue oni twins who spoke of attacking her.

"They stare at you and judge you for being different. For looking like you're weaker than them. Or they'll just attack and kill you for no other reason than their amusement. And when you turn and fight, they become cowards too scared to step up."

And there was Reisen. The rabbit who brings insanity to those who peer into her eyes. An image burned itself into the forefront of Mokou's mind. That of the rabbit screaming as the immortal girl dug her thumbs into her eye sockets. Mokou winced, her hand gripping the sleeves of her shirt.

"And when they fight... They do horrible, unforgivable things to each other."

Mokou took a deep breath and her body shook. The man's voice came low and soft.

"Yes. That's right. Humans do awful and unforgivable things to each other the same as anyone else. Gensokyo is violent and cruel. But I always find stories of how all you need to bring people together is a good tea party. All it takes is tasty food, alcohol, and a change of scenery. That's the real magic of Gensokyo. In time the fighting stops, and when you get in close to everything you get to find something amazing."

The immortal woman grit her teeth. Her face twisted up into a silent growl. In time the fighting stops? Asa's blind optimism irritated her, and she found it impossible to listen to such crap. How old was he even? Eighteen years old? Nineteen? Give him a few hundred years and he'd be just like her...

"Hmph. You're a fool. I don't know who you are but Keine was wrong about you. You haven't grown up at all. Naive, stupid kids like you are bound to get broken."

Mokou stopped her train of thought, replacing it with a mirror. Just like her. What did that even mean?

It took a few moments before Asa responded.

"No. Back then everything scared me. I kept shutting myself off from everyone until one day I wandered out on my own and found out what it's like to be left to die. It was hell, but I realized that it's the surviving that makes everything worth it. To survive, to learn, see and meet things nobody else has. I love that. That's one of the few things in life I never want to change."

He sighed and leaned back against the wall. Silence passed between them, both stewing over their own thoughts. Mokou's anger subsided, replaced with a pang of regret. Her words had hurt him, and she didn't mean to do that. She wanted to say something, but no words sounded from her mouth.

Asa breathed in through her cigarette, and the immortal wondered what he considered of its ashy, marijuana taste. That too was something she made by herself, harvested from plants that grew within the deepest, blackest parts of the Bamboo Forest. Mokou had mixed each roll with her own hands, and imbued them with magic so that, just like her clothes, they would resurrect when she came back from the void.

Body moving on its own, Mokou wrapped her lips around the neck of his flask, letting the alcohol cool her throat. A revelation hit her like a kick to the head.

This man was one of Keine's students. He and Mokou had no doubt seen each other before. But how long ago was that? He couldn't have been more than six or eight years old during the last generation she visited the school. Mokou tried to remember the faces of the children Keine cared for, but nobody like him came to mind. Was he one of the people she guided out of the forest instead? She couldn't recall him in that scenario either.

The immortal girl's mind went into overdrive as a second revelation blasted itself into existence. This man... Keine was flirting with this man. And she got rejected. Keine, the clean, and smart motherly figure. The woman with a full hourglass body and an ideal personality. And of all the youkai women wandering around Asa was spending time with her instead.

"Want to switch back?" Asa's voice was even and calm.

Mokou held out her hand and exchanged the flask of alcohol for her rolled up jay. He sipped at the liquid while she took the blunt to her lips and breathed in. The immortal's eyes went wide as she froze in embarrassment. The two of them have just shared two indirect kisses without even realizing it. Her arm became a blur as she smushed the joint into the ground next to her.

The girl's face became a full rosy pink and her heart raced. Only for her to force it to calm down. She was getting ahead of herself. Needed to quit being so weird and chaotic. Suddenly she was the one acting like a child. She was a mature, one-thousand year old girl and should behave as such. There needed to be something to fix this awkward situation.

From the depths of her mind, a voice sounded off. Her mother's voice.

"Men talk when they're happy. This is especially true when talking about things that give them joy. Get him to talk about something he's interested in, and it'll be easy to get on his good side."

 _Easier said than done, Mother. What should I even say?_

In her peripheral vision, the man sipped at the flask once more. His movement were slow and deliberate, vibing off a conscious drunkenness. When Asa put the flask on the ground between them, the immortal girl snatched it out of his hand before it left his fingers. He watched her screw off the cap and chug at the drink. She kept chugging for several seconds before tilting the flask back down and wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

"What's your name? Full name." Mokou looked straight at him, a small, subtle smile on her lips. The man looked back, blinking in surprise.

"It's Asa. Asa Kazehira."

"Kaze... hira? What a weird name." Mokou leaned her shoulder into the stone with her arms crossed.

"I think it'd be better to have people call you Kaze. Think I should just call you Kaze?"

There was a confused look on his face until it shifted into a cocky smirk. Eyes half closed, he spoke as someone who was aware he was being made fun of.

" Yeah- How about no. Just call me Asa. Calling me Kaze would be like me calling you Fuji. And that wouldn't have the same ring to it."

"You know my name?"

"Come on. Who doesn't know the the legendary Fujiwara no Mokou?"

"Hah! legendary? I'm being serious, how exactly do you know me, Asa Kazehira?"

Asa's eyes lit up again. A sudden, uncharacteristic nervousness revealed itself in the way his body tensed up. Mokou wasn't sure if that was a blush on his face, or delayed effects of the alcohol.

"Because I've admired you for a long time."

A warm, fuzzy feeling built up within the immortal girl. She wanted to know more, wanted him to spill everything about himself. And how much he knew about her. But Asa's nervousness disappeared in the next moment, replaced with the same relaxed expression he kept up through the night.

"You're that ninja from the village hidden in the forest."

And the girl's fuzzy feeling disappeared. So did her own nervousness. Now Mokou became confused.

"I'm that... what? From the where now?"

She squinted at him. He was grinning wide, laughing.

"You know. The ninja village hidden in the Forest, where a secret society trains themselves in the anti-youkai arts of magic."

"That sounds really dumb! And completely wrong! And really, really stupid! What kind of idiotic piece of fiction did you get that idea from!?"

He laughed loud, ignoring her incredulous looks.

"From this one."

He grabbed the straps on his chest and pulled the satchel in front of him. From there he produced a leather-bound book, the cover a dark shade of green. It was heavy enough that when he handed it to Mokou the book almost dropped out of her fingers.

The cover read:

"Perfect Memento in Strict Sense" by Hieda no Akyuu

The immortal raised her forehead at the author's name and tapped at it with one finger.

"I know that girl. I bet she's still alive, huh?"

"Well yeah. Why wouldn't she be? Anyways, its too dark to read here. Let's move out into the street so I can show you what I was talking about."

Mokou didn't bother getting up. She took one of the reddish charms from inside her sleeves and slapped it onto the wall behind them. The air heated up, and the paper seal grew brighter until Asa and Mokou were both cast in an orange glow. Asa turned his head inspecting the surrounding space. The orange light in the alley clashed with the blue of the village streets. To passersby it looked as if they were in their own bubble, separated from the rest of the world.

"I wonder what Akyuu wrote about me…"

Asa directed Mokou to her own entry. Word by word, line by line the immortal woman looked upon her own public image.

"Ninjas? Cellular regeneration? What the hell, everything about this is wrong. Akyuu was the one who wrote this? Why would anyone think I'm a ninja?"

"Maybe because you're always hiding out in the forest. And the anti-youkai part is because people who came back always say you were their protector."

"Um. Bright white and red clothes? Paper charms? And big, bright flames? And a fighting style that just outright beats down the enemy? Nobody figured that I might be a miko?"

Mokou wondered if she should have bothered mentioning her fighting style. Most men in Gensokyo didn't like fighting since women were the ones who had more control over magic.

There was something else on the page that grabbed her attention. A deep crease on the bottom right corner of her entry, long ago straightened and pressed. In the past, Asa had bookmarked her page.

 _Was this… because he had feelings for me back then?_

Mokou breathed out and focused her mind back on the book itself. Asa stared at the page with pursed lips.

"Whoever gave this book's testimony must have figured you for one of those loud and flashy ninjas."

"Everything about that sounds retarded."

She leaned into him now, focusing on the picture in the book. Whoever drew it was a talented artist. Each line and spot of ink was clear and concise, no wasted movements, a spitting image of the immortal's face. The expression on the page held a subdued anger, her body standing straight with her hands in the pockets of her baggy pants. Long white hair went down to her thighs. However, the while the pose was right, there was something seriously wrong with her body.

"By the gods... Why am I so tiny!? Why... Why the fuck do I look like I'm twelve years old!? What the hell!?"

Asa snickered while his eyes darted between the drawing in the book and the real person sitting next to him. Mokou squinted at the page. The image was mocking her now.

"I can't be that short! It looks like I'm only four feet tall!"

"How tall are you?"

"Five foot six! And my chest... I want names! Who the hell thought my chest looks like that!? They made it seem like I literally have no chest!"

His restrained giggling rebounded off the walls of the alleyway, his high spirits encouraging her to keep going. Her scowl deepened before she took another chug from Asa's flask. Her head went down to look at her round breasts before looking back up at the washboard-body in the drawing.

"I mean... I know they're not as big as Keine's. There's no way I could ever compete with those. But it's not like I have nothing. I'm not Wriggle Nightbug."

Mokou became hyper-aware of Asa staring hard at her breasts. He would glance at her chest, then at the drawing, then back to her. The man gave a cocky smile.

"You're absolutely right. The fiction can't even compare to the real you. I like your breasts. I think they're perfect."

Mokou stopped reading and stared straight ahead. A strained smile spread across her face. This was it. The part where he gets bolder, starts outright flirting. Even over the noise of the festival all she could hear was her conscious mind going "AAAAAAAAHHHHH" in a momentary panic.

And she blushed again, wondering once more if a punch to the face would get this guy to stop talking. But then again... this wasn't so bad.

"I want to die." Mokou spoke without thinking. Her face still burned with a rosy pink.

"Nah. You don't. You're just drunk."

"Yes I am. Yes I do. And so are you!"

"And yet I'm still so thirsty."

The immortal girl turned away and rubbed both palms on her cheeks. Her mind reeled, telling her to stay cool, calm, collected. But she couldn't help herself. Mokou wasn't used to what she was feeling now. A warmth spread through the girl not like a raging fire, but more like a hot-spring on a wintry mountaintop. Steamy and humid, but a refreshing coolness outside. It became clear how lonely she's been after so many years.

"I am too." Mokou croaked.

There came the impulse to back out, apologize, to get up and leave. Find another place to be alone. But this was just nervousness talking. The truth is that she liked him. Liked the way he looked at her. She didn't mind being here, or anything at all around them. But there was something else. Something deeper beneath the nervousness. A fear. A ringing in her ears and the back of her head that sounded like a quiet whine in the background.

"You know, when I first came here I wanted to be alone... Why didn't you go with Keine again?"

"Because I wanted to be with you. Do you want me to leave?"

"No..."

Around them the laughter and music of the festival sounded dim and distant. The pale-bluish light of the Human Village was a whole other world from the warm orange within the alleyway. The immortal woman hugged herself, but looked at the man next her. Their eyes locked. He looked nervous too.

"I want... to kiss you." He whispered.

"Go ahead." She smiled back.

He leaned into her. And with her heart still pounding through her chest she closed her eyes. It felt strange to let someone get this close, to wait for his touch. In the back of her mind, the ringing in her ears grew louder.

His warmth became tangible across her own skin. Asa put his hand on top of her's. The skin was like her own, callused and rough. She breathed out, and could feel his own breath as well. Sweet and strong, like the alcohol they were drinking, layered with the smoky, marijuana scent of her cigarette. Mokou giggled thinking how they must be having the same thoughts together

The side of his nose touched her's, then their lips connected. Their mouths opened and the tips of their tongues twisted into each other.

Mokou opened her eyes as pain exploded from within her skull. It rang high pitched, metallic. An agonizing sound that forced her hands up to her head, striking Asa in the chest along the way. The man was flung back with an astonished groan.

* * *

Mokou couldn't see or hear him. Didn't see the alleyway. Didn't hear the festival from behind. Instead the ringing in her mind blocked out everything, and across her vision the full moon loomed over the tops of thin trees. All around her stood humanoid rabbits, their eyes glowing pink and purple in the blackness.

In a flash, they all started screaming, their bodies engulfed in dancing flames, streaks of red and blue crawling up and down their bodies. And Kaguya's laugh echoed through the trees, her form flying above them looking down with eyes shining black as ink.

Mokou bellowed in rage. And the next thing she knew her fingers were burying into the neck of Kaguya's charred corpse. The forest floor was behind Kaguya, the two immortals lying on top of each other in a smoking crater. Flames burnt through the princess' skin, eyes melting and boiling like heated jelly. Upon the rabbit's screams of pain came Mokou's voice.

"I hate you! I'll kill you! Everything that ever happened was because of you! Why can't you leave me alone!?"

Kaguya's corpse disintegrated in her grip, as did the bodies of the lunarians. The princess' blackened, broken form changed into glittering stardust, rising into the sky and sparkling like fine diamond. And more painful than if those jewels cut into her skin, Mokou heard Kaguya's condescending voice.

"Again."

* * *

Mokou blinked. The alleyway within the human village returned. The laughter and conversations of the festival sounded off once more. Distant cheers of a diverse crowd made its way through the walls. But at the immediate entrance to the alley, youkai gasped at the sudden explosion of flame.

The immortal narrowed her eyes at her own outstretched hand. Miniature flames crawled across her sleeve.

"Mokou..." The man whispered. He was not screaming or yelling. He stared into her eyes past her open fingers. Asa had no magic, unable to do anything but hold both hands up in a vain attempt at defense.

Her firelight cast the black stone walls around them in a hellish red. And past her arms they both gazed at each other with the same expression of fear.

Mokou brought her hand back close to her body. The flames died out, and so did the charm she placed on the wall. Both disappeared in a wave of shadow, and in the dark came the immortal's ragged breathing.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was hoarse.

She turned away again, wincing. Confusion ate away at her. Such a reaction had never happened before. Her anxiety attacks were never that intense, the images in her mind never that clear.

"I'm sorry." Tears went down her cheek. She wanted to die. To die for real.

Mokou's body trembled and quaked as if chilled to the bone. And with shaking hands she reached into her pants pocket and pulled out another cigarette. But before she could light it Asa crawled forward and cupped her hands in his. She looked up and saw him scowling down at her. But it wasn't a face of anger. Or even fear.

"It's okay." He whispered.

On either side of the alleyway, the sounds of the festival had become softer, less numerous and more distinct. Voices called out in both satisfied and frustrated tones. The smells of roasted game and fried vegetables had faded during the idle hours of the late night. Some of the youkai had begun flying home, their colorful dresses and ornate hats flapping in the billowing in the wind while they carried spoils of the market.

"There's still a few hours left before sunrise. You still have time to enjoy the feast." The girl murmured.

Silence from the man. Mokou forced a smile, trying her best to sound cheerful and failing at it.

"I guess I ruined your night."

He smiled at her, eyes twinkling.

"I've had much worse nights than this. So have you."

She laughed now.

"Isn't that the biggest understatement of all time?"

"I'll go out there if you go too."

Mokou shook her head. The white strands of her long ponytail hair shaking with the movement.

"I'd rather stay here."

He nodded and let go of her hand. Silence again. Mokou and Asa both stared forward, lost in thought. But Mokou didn't want this. To end it in such an agonizing way. Didn't want to have this guilt eat away at her, trapped in her own mind. There was nothing but a wall in front of her. And she was so tired of staring at walls. Her voice came up shaky and hesitant.

"Hey..."

They both turned to each other. Behind them, Mokou's paper charm lit itself once more. And again they were bathed in a soft glow.

"Can we... read from your book again? I want to see... I want to see how normal people look at Gensokyo."

He grinned wide. The fuzzy feeling in her chest returned.

"Hah! Never make the mistake of assuming what's 'normal' in Gensokyo."

Asa took the book off the ground and laid it out on his lap. Mokou slid herself close to him and reached across his body. Her head leaned onto his shoulder close to his face, both reading through the pages of the aged, worn out book. There they stayed through the night, imagining the vistas and strange worlds just outside the village borders. Together they wandered. Aimless, but not lost.


	4. Stories

**Lasting Moments**

Mokou and Asa sat together, riding off the leftover effects of weed and alcohol. The paper seal behind them wavered in a slow breeze, its warm air wrapping around them like a felt blanket. The music that played through the village had changed from the high tempo strings to the soft, rhythmic beats of a drum, accompanied by the smooth timbre of a saxophone playing in the distance. A jazz tune echoed across the walls, distinct from idle chatter of those around. Yet despite the noise they heard each other clear, the space around them quiet and still. To their left and right the crowds of the youkai market flowed through the streets in an oscillating river of color.

At the sight of an interesting youkai, they'd flip through the pages of Asa's book and find the entry that depicted its species. Kappa tinkerers. Wolf tengu warriors. Crow tengu observers. Oni vagrants. Every species had an individual representative in the book, a known personality, and a place to call home. The more Asa read, the more it seemed almost impossible for humans not to have regular encounters with youkai.

And Mokou found it ironic how she wished that time would stop. Now that she was outside the Bamboo Forest, away from Kaguya's control, every moment battered into Mokou's mind because for once in her life she didn't want that them to end. In the darkness of the alleyway, it was peaceful and serene. In those fleeting seconds, she no longer feared the possibility of a knife at her back, or a bullet to her head.

One thing still confused her. Asa's continued presence was strange. He had come so close to an agonizing and painful death. Yet, he stayed and acted as if nothing happened. Wasn't he angry? Disappointed? Through his veneer of patient caring she knew he had wanted more. So did she.

Thinking on this, she became angry and disappointed in herself. There was no way he would come on to her again. If she wanted a more physical intimacy, she'd have to be the one take the lead. However, there was no telling if she would have a second anxiety attack. There was no way to know if, by some reflex or overreaction she would end up killing him. Would either of them be willing to take that risk?

For now, she focused on the words, learning of all she missed during her time in the Bamboo Forest. Her interest piqued when he reached the entry to what was once her home. She cringed and shook her head upon hearing the words, the author losing all credibility in Mokou's eyes.

"No... that's wrong. Pure flatland everywhere? No landmarks? How and why would there be no landmarks!? I have seen anthills reaching several stories high. Hills you had to climb to get past. There are wasp nests the size of a small person. Bird nests. Caves and rock formations going deep into the earth. Burrows made by wild rabbits. scratch marks from clawed animals, and the footprints left behind. Even the thickness of each tree, and the formations they grow in That it even mentions food and resources in this page implies there are things to look out for. It Makes. No. Sense. For Akyuu to be saying all this!"

Asa shrugged one shoulder.

"Keep in mind Akyuu made this based off witness interviews. She's never been to these places herself. Plus, they don't know all that much about wilderness survival."

"Then the witnesses are dumb too!"

She fell silent. There was a reason for such a misconception to the Bamboo Forest's layout. Sloping flatlands within the forest were no doubt the craters left behind from her fights against Kaguya. And the trees that grew in them would be the local youkai trying to regrow the forest after the battle was over.

Wriggle was right. Mokou and Kaguya were the reason the Bamboo Forest of the Lost got its name. Every night she'd reduce the forest to ash. From the ashes came the trees, and from the trees she built her homes, only for it all to burn down in an endless cycle. For both immortals, The Bamboo Forest of The Lost had become extensions of themselves.

Mokou shook her head. One hand rose to brush back her hair. Asa kept one finger on the Bamboo Forest entry and turned to other chapters in the text.

"It's only the Bamboo Forest where Akyuu seems to have messed up. Maybe someone's been giving her the wrong information? Or changed the witnesses' memories?"

Mokou eyed him sideways.

"You're implying Keine tampered with people's memories before they spoke with Akyuu. Keine and the Hieda family respect each other as fellow historians. She would never do that."

"How would we know? Would her powers override Akyuu's? Imagine the mental battle they would have as two contradictory forms of magic clashed."

They exchanged glances. In both their minds they calculated the abilities of the schoolteacher and the historian. Akyuu vs Keine. The girl who remembered everything, and the woman who sustained herself on people's histories. Mokou groaned and scratched the top of her head with one hand.

"Aaah that's too complicated! Let's get out of this chapter and never come back. I'm not even IN the forest anymore and it's still making me go crazy!"

Asa chuckled beside her.

"Good idea."

The immortal sighed and imagined the place she once called home. Kaguya and her servants would be scouring the forest in search of her, cutting down trees, destroying nests, sending rabbits deep into the caves. Wriggle would be there, hiding from the princess. Mystia would be hiding as well, her song silenced in fear of the other immortal.

"Stay safe guys." Mokou whispered. Though she wondered if they would have been better off without her. She had her own fair share of non-Kaguya kills.

Asa turned his head.

"Thinking about your friends?"

"Yeah."

"Are you going to come back to them tomorrow?"

"... No."

Mokou winced as the word escaped her throat. She looked over to see the man tilting his head to the side, a catlike curiosity in his eyes.

After flipping to a random page, Asa took another sip from his flask of sake. Mokou observed the liquid pouring out even when the container should have been empty long ago. Just how long did Suika's alcohol last?

"I can only imagine the stories you have of that place. But… I bet I have a story that can match one of yours. It might even be better"

"Oh?"

"Yeah. In fact, I bet my story has more blood in it too."

"OH REALLY?"

How absurd. He may as well still be a child, without a clue of the experiences she's gleaned from centuries of combat.

"Okay Asa. Let's see who has the best story. Tell yours first. Afterwards we'll see if it can stand up to mine."

He adorned a cocky smile before picking up the book and raising it to rest on one knee.

"First let me give you some context here..."

* * *

 **A Story About Seeing Red**

The pages flipped about before landing on Western mansion. It was hard to tell the material since the picture had no color, but the shape and architecture of the place fascinated Mokou. This "Scarlet Devil Mansion" was rectangular and spread across a forest of oak and pine. A massive clock tower jutted out from the roof of the building, a strange addition that served no practical purpose. It was a far cry from Eintei Castle, which comprised of curves and columns, and circular towers with triangular roofs that shot up towards the sky.

Asa turned the page again and pointed toward specific people described in the text. A maid, a magician, a succubus, a Chinese woman, and two vampires.

"Out of all the youkai described in here, these guys are by far the most famous. They were among the first group to start an incident that affected all of Gensokyo, and it was so drastic people even still talk about it to this day. Even you should remember something about it."

"I... I don't..."

Asa told of how Remilia Scarlet is a vampire, a being that cannot stand to go outside. Everything kills her. Sunlight either burns her to dust or shrivels her up like a raisin on the street of a hot summer day. Water blessed by a holy person melts away her skin. Remilia likely had a natural fear of crosses too. Yet she still needed to feed on human blood to stay strong and maintain her magic power. And so, Remilia created a magical scarlet mist that blocked out the sun.

"I see. Her weakness is the natural weather. If she countered that, then she'd be able to kill and kidnap people as she pleases."

He nodded before continuing his story in a grave tone.

"On that night, the full moon became tinged with red, and clouds blocked out the stars. The scarlet mist thickened in the sky until it descended into the human village. It bled through our magical barriers, vapors as thick and rich as red wine. Its precipitation covered the walls, soaking into people clothes and dripping down their necks. The mist itched and burned, and when people tried to wipe the moisture off their face, they looked down to see their hands covered in blood!"

Asa looked down at his own hands, his face turning ashen as he imitated a look of pure abject horror.

"We saw the blood, the red, saw how everything was indistinguishable in a world of crimson. The villagers panicked. They believed the apocalypse was upon them, and that youkai of all kinds would soon break in and tear them limb from limb! It was the end of days, and there were those who prostrated themselves on the ground and begged for forgiveness of their skins.

Mokou giggled.

"And what about you? Did you have sins to repent?"

"Hm... I once punted a chicken."

"... What?"

"It was a youkai in disguise! It said the words 'Ow! Fuck!' after I kicked it!

She blinked, unsure of what to make of this extra bit of trivia.

"What we didn't expect, was that the vampires were not the real danger. To us, they had always been rumors, the villains of dark tales told by those who wandered deep into the Forest of Magic. What came to us that night was not the bloodthirsty monsters from far off lands. Instead, it was the madness and chaos of those who worshiped them!"

"People worshiped Remilia like a god?"

"Yes. As the fearful cries of the villagers rang out across the village, a cult had formed to deify those monsters. They saw the blood not as a coming doom but as a new age in which we are ruled by a vampire overlord. They banded together and attacked the other villagers, breaking into homes, kidnapping people they once called neighbors for the sake of human sacrifice. As they did so they screamed like banshees, wailing with broken voices just one sentence on repeat... over and over... Blood for the blood god. Blood for the blood god! BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!"

The immortal scowled and blinked. Mokou had started off acting scared, but now she leaned in with genuine interest. She thought about how these people had no magic, only their bare hands and bodies. Her mind's eye saw the carnage that unfolded.

"You're... you're exaggerating all of this. That's… impossible…. There's no way…."

"I took shelter in the same second-hand item store I worked at during the day. There, me and my boss were holed up, lying behind the cover of overturned sofa chairs. The rest of the furniture was moved to block the entrance, and we used wooden boards to barricade the windows. The mist that pervaded the air still drifted into the house, and the two of us sweated in agony as we kept our weapons trained on the openings of our defense. I will never forget seeing the crimson moonlight beam in through the windows, seeing my own friends and neighbors peeking into the openings."

"What kind of weapons did you have?"

"Guns. He had a rifle. Mine was a shotgun."

Mokou snorted, covered her mouth in embarrassment from snorting, then uncovered her mouth to show a toothy grin.

"Guns? Those heavy metal ones that fire bullets and have to be loaded? Daaaw. Isn't that quaint and cozy? Just the fucking coziest!"

Asa shrugged.

"Without any magic, we have to make do with the tools we have."

"So, I guess you holed up there until the incident passed?"

He grinned wide, before staring up at the now moonless sky. Mokou scowled.

"And? What happened?"

"Me and my boss realized that we were the only ones who kept our sanity. The people were in chaos. It was up to us to pacify them. So, we steeled ourselves...and prepared to go on the offensive."

The immortal held her breath and stared at him while leaning forward.

"We busted through the door and shot our guns into the air. The rioting crowds all stopped to look at us. That's when my boss gave his speech. He talked about how we are not the monsters. We do not surrender to our basic instincts, we are better than this. For the sake of civilization, we will show the world that violence does not make us. "

"Sounds like the right thing to do."

"The first reply was 'who the hell is that guy?' Another one straight up said "We shall sacrifice him first! The blood of a foreigner shall be the first to slake our god's thirst!"

"Foreigner?" Said the immortal, raising an eyebrow.

"He's blonde with green eyes. And so, upon hearing that, I responded by pointing my gun and sayng 'That's it! The next one to mention blood is going to be the one licking theirs off the goddamn walls!' And...that's when I got attacked and snatched away by a winged youkai."

"Wait What!? Nobody saw that thing coming? ...Were you okay?"

"I still had my arms, so I shot its belly. Boss shot it in the back, and when it fell we ended up flipping around until its body broke my fall. Afterwards, the villagers all joined together to hack at it… And that was when the mist cleared."

The immortal's eyes narrowed.

"Wait… you mean that random youkai was the one who created the mist?"

Asa looked up and pondered his own story.

"That's what the whole village believed. But then Reimu came in claiming to have lifted the curse by beating Remilia. Had to have a whole debate about who took the credit. Reimu lost. There wasn't much of a fuss over it, I think mostly everyone was just relieved how nobody died during that whole incident. The best part was how since Remilia broke out of her isolation, her maid now makes regular trips into the village. Everyone loves her, and it's because of her we now know way more about vampires than we did before. Though none of the villagers ever go there, Scarlet Devil Mansion has become renowned as the only place with a foreign type of monster. Things ended up returning to normal afterwards. So! The point of that story was that sometimes a little violence can keep things interesting. And that even in the worst of times, it all works out in the end!"

Mokou crossed her arms and grinned.

"That's not…. That's not the point of the story at all! There was no point to that story!"

"True, but think about the effects of that event! A European vampire in Japanese Gensokyo! How did they even get here? Where did they come from?"

"Why do you care? They're just another bunch of monsters!"

Asa stopped and smiled wide.

"I care because I want to visit that place soon. Nobody here has SEEN Remilia Scarlet, or any of the higher ups in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. We see her maid come in for grocery shopping, but that's it. I want to see it in person, to find out what they do, how they work. Akyuu's book says they're harmless now, but... As we've seen the facts written here should be taken with a grain of salt."

"That's why you SHOULDN"T visit that place. There's no reason to."

"You aren't the least bit curious to know what they eat? If vampires kill humans to survive, what do they kill now that the Shrine Maiden's got them on a leash? She hasn't taken anyone from the village, so what's her alternative food source?"

"First, I doubt Reimu's got them on the metaphorical leash. Second... those... are not the questions someone like you should try to find out on your own!"

"Well, come with me if you want. Soon I'll be going in anyway."

* * *

 **The Saviors that Killed Her**

Mokou looked upwards and thought back to the Scarlet Mist. Her memory came back then. At the time she didn't consider the scarlet mist to be very special. It was just one night among many where the trees were covered in red. Only in her case it was actual blood. She decided not to mention this.

"You know, if that vampire had succeeded with her plan, it would truly have been the end times. It would have given her free reign to kill as she pleases."

"Nah. The fact is the human village panicked because they knew nothing about Western vampires. The truth is all you have to do is just stay in your home and not let them in. It's simple. If you consider a place your home, then passive magic stops vampires from entering without your permission."

Mokou smiled at the thought of a dainty, scrawny, bloodthirsty child, knocking on people's doors asking for blood. Sounded like some twisted version of a children's holiday.

Yet, she understood Asa's story on an intimate level. A blood red sky… In that moment she remembered the scarlet mist. Darkness, and a deep shade of scarlet covered the tops of everything. It stuck to the leaves and the trees, and even the ground beneath the forest became soaked in the red moisture. Every bit of the forest floor took on a muddy, gooey quality that latched on her shoes and made it difficult to lift her legs. Kaguya had not come out that night. Instead, Mokou was forced to fight off crazed youkai. With everything covered in red, there was no way to tell the difference between the wounded and the dead. The only certainty came when she set them on fire…

"I... I remember that day now too. Since my eyesight is particularly keen, I saw my surroundings better than others did. I used my clothes as camouflage, and if I didn't bump into anything while I flew, nobody would hear my approach. And… Everyone in the forest became confused about the time of day, so both diurnal and nocturnal youkai were active at the same time. There was more fighting that night than there ever was before."

"Did the mist affect your power to create flame?"

"... Yeah. Since everything was wet, burning things took longer than it would have normally..."

There was a moment of silence as he comprehended the meaning behind her words.

"... Yeah, same for us too. After the incident concluded, we still had to deal with the aftermath. Wood didn't burn, so our options became limited in preparing food. We also had to deal the moisture getting into our homes. Mold grew into the walls, and pretty much everyone in the village had to make renovations. Since it was magical red mold, only the village's most talented magical girls could purify it. Marisa and Reimu had to stay in the Village for a week afterwards taking care of everything. And don't get me started with washing our clothes and sheets. Had to ask them both to protect us while we headed to the rivers near the mountain."

"... So Reimu is the real hero of that story, huh?"

He nodded.

"Reimu has always been the savior of Gensokyo. She's the one who ends up resolving every incident that comes our way. Few people in the village like relying on her though. She doesn't kill the youkai she's supposed to exterminate, so they always come back and continue what they were doing later."

The immortal winced. Reimu Hakurei. The savior of Gensokyo. A shrine maiden who doesn't kill youkai. A shrine maiden that avoids doing her job. She was one of the people who stormed through the forest one night to kill her. Reimu Hakurei, paired up with Yukari Yakumo. The two of them killing her over and over, one pair out of many. She was like all the others that night. Every one of them attacked her on Kaguya's behest. They were on the strongest beings in Gensokyo, all on Kaguya's side. Each of them had control of every major region in the land. Even outside the forest, Mokou was still surrounded by enemies.

Her right hand erupted in flame, and she smashed her fist into the wall. Small pieces of shattered brick and rubble spilled beside her. Behind their backs, a yelp of panic rose from the buildings inhabitants. Mokou breathed deep, teeth clenched. Out in the street more youkai crossed their view. Their dancing forms created shadows that shifted and slid across the greyed stone.

"If she doesn't kill... Why did she kill me?"

Her head tilted back, and she sighed through her nose. Asa said nothing in return.

"I guess it's my turn to tell a story now, huh?"

It was too easy. How many nights was it did she and Kaguya rip each other apart? How many nights of chaos, where Lunarian soldiers sought to kill or torture her in the name of their princess? There were so many nights that were more gruesome than his. Mokou wasn't even used to talking about the Bamboo Forest with anyone besides Wriggle and Keine. Wriggle had the experience of being there, while Keine saw directly into her memories. This man was an outsider.

Asa held up a hand.

"Hold up. You're immortal so of course you've got more stories than me. Tell me something that stands out from the other stories. How about... you tell me something funny?

"Something... funny?"

That may as well have been an impossible request. There was nothing lighthearted about the Bamboo Forest. But there was something in his gaze, in the curiosity in his eyes, like he believed there was something worth laughing at in that forest. And somehow, she wanted to meet that gaze with her own. The immortal was being challenged, and she didn't want to back down.

On Asa's part, he observed Mokou's confused face. A mix of fear, and nervousness being made obvious. And he spoke trying to keep her calm.

"It can be anything. Something painful, but also ironic. Something embarrassing, or just plain stupid. Something interesting."

Stupid, ironic, and embarrassing. Out of all the lonely nights she spent in the Bamboo Forest, when were the days in which she felt those emotions? What stories did she have that could bring a person laughter?

"Want me to give you an example?" Asa's smile returned. He leaned in and rested his chin on a closed fist. A man about to tell a secret.

"Reimu is a poor person. Nobody gives her any money or donations, which means she's always hungry and starving. Now supposedly, - and this is just a rumor so don't take my word for it - that she killed you because you looked like a jelly donut."

Mokou turned her head. Slowly. With the most incredulous scowl on her face.

"You've got to be kidding me. I…. Oh gods…. That conversation from back then!"

"A frosting covered jelly donut. With a creamy filling." Asa locked eyes with the immortal, eyebrows twitching, a devilish grin on his lips. He said nothing further, but It was obvious what his next line would be. Probably something about him eating her. Or eating her out.

She blushed and giggled. Her body shook, shoulders rubbing against the wall while she clutched at her stomach. Mokou wiped her eye and smiled at the man next to her. Images played back within her mind. It searched for something... entertaining... And there it was. A wartime story that was just silly enough to be childish, serious enough to be thrilling.

The immortal girl spoke slow at first, getting her bearings, building her confidence. Her voice shook, but he listened with a patience attentiveness. He was like an eager student learning from his teacher. And Mokou pushed forward, voicing gaining confidence as he reacted to her story.

* * *

 **A Story of a Drug Fueled Insanity**

Mokou spoke slow at first, getting her bearings. Her voice shook, but he listened and leaned in when she started to speed up. He was like an eager student learning from his teacher. And Mokou pushed forward, voicing gaining confidence as he reacted to her story.

The immortal spoke of the forest hundreds of years ago. Early on, during the 2nd century of Kaguya and Mokou's fights, Mokou had wanted to kill Wriggle. The bug youkai had learned earlier on that finishing off the remains of an immortal's body made for an easy meal. Many times, a sea of gnawing insects would cover the forest floor, finishing one of the wounded immortals. Mokou soon grew weary of her and hunted the youkai down.

As the bug youkai pleaded for her life, she made a deal. In return for being spared, Wriggle would scout out the Lunarian's extra encampments and report on how they functioned outisde their castle.

It wasn't often that the servants of Eientei would branch out from their home. Often, they would build secondary bases underground, or somewhere well-hidden and fortified beneath the forest brush. Finding them became much easier with Wriggle's help. Under the bug youkai's guidance Mokou found a secret bakery where rows of rabbits would pound buckets of mochi with giant hammers. It was a massive facility, a building devoted to preparing sweets for the coming lunar festival. The sound of their hammers struck at an even pace, creating a beat that matched with their singing.

"Now, what I did after finding that place...-"

"-You left them alone and decided not to interrupt their song." His wry smile and sarcastic tone made her giddy. The fallacy in his words making her want to speak faster."

"No! I busted the door down and threatened to kill them all!"

The man raised his forehead. Mokou continued while gesturing with her hands for emphasis.

"I roared at them like I was pretending to be a bear. And they scattered because...well...rabbits... So, there I was. Alone in an empty candy shop. Everywhere I looked were buckets of Mochi, all lined up across the ground. And not just mochi either. On the shelves were sweets of every possible type, more than you could ever imagine. I think it all had a collective weight of about 200 pounds."

"Noo…"

"Yes." Mokou nodded.

"Know what I did with all those sweets? I ate them. Cleaned the place out, with not a single piece of candy left. The sugar and raw cooking material were split between me and Wriggle, but the rest I ate right there on the spot."

She paused, to let the words sink in. Asa blinked, jaw dropping slow.

"You ate all of it? All 200 pounds?"

"That's right. Every last bit of mochi. Every last piece of pocky. Every single bar of chocolate. And you know what happened?"

"You got poisoned?"

"When I ate too much, I died. Then I came back and continued right where I left off. And then I'd die, and eat again, until I exploded."

"Okay. Now it's my turn to ask. Just how? And why? Why did you eat all that candy?"

"Understand that I've been eating nothing but forest game for the past 100 years. And this is before I learned about the plants I could use for proper seasoning and flavor. Most of the plants I ate were gross and bland. Unseasoned meat isn't so great either. When faced with all that sweet, finger-licking goodness in front of me, I couldn't help myself! And know what happened in the moments before I died?"

He shook his head.

"I was fat. Obese in fact. Like morbidly obese, veins clogged, heart about to explode, sort kind of fat. I couldn't fit through the door I busted through. Flying made me feel like a balloon, or a child's ball bouncing around everywhere. And every time I came back I had the biggest fucking smile on my face and screamed 'MOAAR!'"

That was when Asa looked to the side, imagining Mokou as a white haired flying blob, and laughed. He trembled shock and glee while Mokou smiled and laughed with him. Asa shook his head and turned to her with wide eyes.

"...Did...Did the cooks ever come back?"

"Yes. Yes they did. And know what they found?"

"A fat sleeping bear?"

Mokou smiled wide while her body shook with restrained laughter.

"Let me give you another bit of useful information. Eirin and Kaguya give orders to the rabbits, right? Did you know there are two different types? There are Lunarians and Earth rabbits. The Earth rabbits answer to Tewi, who is a bitch. And like Tewi, the earth rabbits can get pretty insubordinate at times. They get tired when they're not motivated and are always prone to skipping work."

Asa nodded in understanding.

"When Eirin sends earth rabbits to complete a task, she'll often find them not only being lazy, but eating some of the product they're supposed to make. So she, being the drug abusing bitch SHE is, will often keep them motivated by SPIKING THEIR FOOD WITH DRUGS."

Another moment to take in her words. Asa blinked once. Then his jaw dropped even further. Eyes widened. Shoulders tensed up as he realized just how dire the situation Mokou was in. And Mokou continued her story with a palpable glee.

"So when the rabbit cooks came back. What they found was a steroid enhanced, adrenaline pumped, Cocaine-and-sugar hyped, obese, flaming immortal nightmare! I was a magical fucking dragon of fire and fatness! The look... on those rabbits faces... as they saw this demonic fat chick with flaming wings bouncing toward them!"

She watched the man's expression change into one of abject giggling horror. She giggled, wondering if she should add more details to the story. Wouldn't be a good idea to mention how she attacked and ate some servants that tried to run away.

"Mokou the fat dragon phoenix!"

"Hah! ...Oh no, don't call me that!"

"what happened then?"

"I stayed in that form. And fought Kaguya while obese as fuck. And... the look on her face?... Just. Perfect!"

Mokou imitated the princess, adopting a face of horror and pure unadulterated revulsion. The alleyway erupted in hysterical laughing. They both rocked back and forth, clutching at their sides as they struggled to breath. Soon they calmed down, and the two of them sighed and wiped their eyes before looking each other with wide grins.

"So. Who won the story contest?"

They both spoke at the same time.

"You did."

The man reeled back in shock.

"Wait what? But yours is so much weirder. Or were you really horrified by the scarlet mist?"

Mokou waved a hand in dismissal.

"Oh pfff. The Scarlet Mist was just whatever. I could have handled the vampire easy."

"Are you saying you could have resolved that incident yourself?"

"Damn right! I'd have done it even faster and better than Reimu What's really interesting is the thought of you walking up to a supposed youkai and just kicking it as hard as you can."

The man was quick on the uptake. He chuckled once before resuming his air of smooth confidence.

"Hah. I ended up regretting it though! That chicken youkai was a summoner type. At first I was so proud of being able to punt it over the village wall, ... until it came back with an army of chickens at its back, swearing revenge at me in a voice like the sound of two pieces of metal smashing together."

"Hah! And let me guess. You shot them down with those guns of yours."

"Hell no! I ran the fuck out of there! Except they chased me through the town. And didn't stop chasing me until

that green-haired shrine maiden showed up to save my life. I think I ran 8 miles that day, all in one go."

She leaned the side of her face into her palm.

"The chicken hunter. Oh are they going to sing epics about you."

"And I've got the scars to prove it. Right here on my arm."

"Oh? Let me see."

He rolled the sleeve of his right arm, revealing the scar tissue that proved his adventure. Scratches from birds of all shapes and sizes traveled across his forearm and shoulder. Mokou had planned on feigning admiration. Whatever proof of pain he presented was nothing compared to what she's gone through. Except that wasn't all she spotted. There were veins visible through his skin, highlighting his toned muscle... And she realized...THIS MAN WAS FLEXING! HE WAS FLEXING AS HARD AS HE COULD. The cool, confident smile on his face did little to hide the effort he was putting in to impress her. Caught off guard, she burst into a fit of laughter. She tried to stop herself by pressing her lips into her teeth but couldn't help the giggling that shook her torso.

"PFFFFFT!"

The immortal woman giggled with the sheer intensity that could only come from someone giving a desperate attempt at holding it in. She turned away, one wrist rising in a dainty attempt at covering her mouth. Her whole body shook, rocking left to right while she shut her eyes trying to regain control. Youkai out on the street peered into the alleyway in curiosity. Mokou kept her hand raised, head turned away as if embarrassed by her own giddiness.

Asa gazed at her with a strange expression. Forehead raised, a blush showed up again in his cheeks. Mokou stopped and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You laugh like a princess."

Mokou blinked once. Her cheeks went pink. Her expression locked into something between a wide-eyed stare and a sharp scowl with her eyebrows pointing down. Again she wondered if this offended her. But the next thing she did, which came as a surprise, was turn it into a joke. She grinned wide and adopted pompous voice, a snobby, squeaky imitation of a noble she remembered in her childhood days.

"Oh? Indeed it be true! You speak to the royal scion of a noble house, grovel by my feet, or gaze upon my beautiful face in divine wonder!"

Asa leaned back, staring in shock while trying to figure out what to say next.

"Pardon me, your majesty. But doth your Father know you weareth his drapes?"

"My! How dare you! Such Insolence! I shall you stuff into a hat and wear you like a crown!"

"...Yes! That would be the greatest honor! To shine upon your head and be a symbol of your awesome might!"

"And together we will conquer the world! And upon seeing my enemies suffer I shall laugh! Just. Like. This!"

Mokou raised her chin high, turning her head to the side in a motion of mock arrogance, straightening the fingers and pressing them into her cheek.

"OOOHhohohohohooo!"

Her voice came out foreign, alien, something heard more like the hysterical quacks of a duck. Asa leaned back as if struck by an intense wind, unable to take the ludicrousness of her act.

They turned to each other, watching each other's smiles spread. Another bit of giggling, their bodies rocking back and forth. Mokou's abs hurt, and she told herself to breathe. Deep inhale. Calm Down. Slow exhale... And another fit of giggling... Another deep breath, until they both sighed and fell silent. Asa stared forward, but Mokou didn't take her eyes off him. She took in every bit of him. His face, his eyes, his body.

And she couldn't help thinking of how he was trying so hard to cheer her up. Mokou looked up at the sky, spotted the full moon above the gathering clouds, and realized that even now the night was still so young. The first time they got close, she had almost killed him. But she wanted to try again...

Asa muttered something with a dazed expression. His voice was a half chuckle, half whisper. Only he would have heard it if it weren't for the immortal's enhanced hearing.

"Princess Mokou." The imagination in Asa's voice seemed to carry him away.

Mokou's heart skipped a beat. She punched him on the shoulder. Just a tap. Closed fist, but soft enough to be clear she was holding back.

"Ow! What was tha-"

Another hit. Then another. With pursed lips and an angry scowl Mokou struck at the man again and again. Her body leaned in to his, her fists battering against his chest and shoulders. When he recoiled, she lunged closer and pushed herself on top of him. He fell to his back, her breasts squishing onto his chest, her hands on his shoulders. Her face so close to his. In the back of her mind there was panic. Fear.

Asa blinked and looked into her eyes. There was that same prey-spots-a-predator look on his face as when he first found her. He too was scared. Confused. Not sure if he had gone too far. But there was eagerness in him. She could feel it.

"Mokou..."

She kissed him deep. There was a ringing again in the back of her head, but she forced it down. Focused on this one moment. The feel of him. The music at her back. His warmth.

The kiss finished. Mokou brought her head back and opened her eyes. Asa was below her, a stunned expression on his face, cheeks blushing red. In his eyes was a happiness she so rarely saw in herself. And the immortal's sight of him blurred. Mokou lowered her head and stuffed her face into his chest. Her head shook, rubbing the tears off onto his shirt. Asa's hands wrapped around her. One palm rested on her back, another at the back of her head, brushing her white hair.

The immortal lifted her head and stared once more at the man below her. When she spoke, her voice was clear and confident.

"It's alright... I'm okay..."

"Mokou... That can't be it. Let's keep going... The night's still so young..."

When she smiled, he smiled in return. And Mokou leaned in again, their lips pressing into each other. His hands undid the buttons over her chest until her neck and breasts were exposed in light of the flaming talisman. They continued kissing, the immortal moaning while his lips slid further down her body.

* * *

He ripped open her shirt and kissed her gently on the chest. His mouth moved lower, hands moving across her skin. Mokou shrugged as he did so, letting the suspenders fall to the wayside. Mokou's chest was exposed now, revealing the sarashi wound tight over her breasts. Asa sat up, gently pushing Mokou onto her back. She breathed deep as his firm hands caressed every bare inch of her body. He kissed her stomach, pressing his mouth into her abs, before moving down and licking her bellybutton. When he pushed his head under the cloth and in between her breasts, she let out a giggle, his touch tickling her skin. She leaned back further, eyes closed while her mouth opened to let out a soft moan.

Below, Mokou rubbed down her ankles, shoes sliding off her feet while keeping on the white socks. Asa pulled down her pants, loosening the waistband and opening it up to the plain white panties. This, he removed with his teeth, pulling at the cloth like an eager dog. Her arms reached down to rub herself, but they stopped away when his head slid between her legs.

She was flat on her back now. One hand gripped his head as the other lay limp at her side. And she moaned when Asa's tongue pushed inside of her. It was rough and moist, darting in random motions. Up and down, in and out. The man moved his mouth as if forming words, tongue going in every time he opened up. At the same time his thumb rubbed against her clit, stroking and pinching it in causing her to yell out.

Asa's tongue struck a sensitive spot, and let out a high pitched yelp.

 _Wait. Wasn't I supposed to be the one taking the lead?_ She thought as another whine escaped her throat.

At the sound of her squeaking, Asa no longer licked in random motions. Instead he aimed specifically for that spot, the tip of his tongue pressing into it, licking it, motions becoming repeated and more rapid. Mokou's toes bent, and her knees rose to grip the man's head between her thighs. He smiled and kept going, and she put one finger into her mouth while her eyes began to roll back.

"...Oh...How...How is it so good?...Oh! Aaaah...Aaaah!

Her back arched, and her knees straightened while her toes clenched. And she looked down and stared at Asa wiping the moisture off his face.

"Umm...I...uh..." The immortal breathed, finger still in her mouth.

Asa stood on his knees and took off his shirt. Broad chest and hardened muscle filled Mokou's vision. The immortal's eyes widened when he took off his pants. Lips pressing together and head recoiling back as a shadow loomed across her body. It lay between her legs, up to her belly, and Mokou started getting scared as she realized this man's dick had _weight._

"Hold up!"

Mokou bolted upright and leaned onto Asa's body. The yipped in surprise and fell back, shoulders pressed into the ground as Mokou's hand balanced on his chest.

"No way you're sticking that in my unless it's at my speed got it? Don't move, or I swear I'll kill you! First let me do what you did for me."

He blinked once, then smiled, bringing both his arms up so that his head rested on his palms.

"I would like that. Please take care of me. I'll be counting on you."

An innocent expression made her heart flutter, and she crawled backwards until that thing stood in front of her face. She stared at it in wonder, looking it up and down. There was no way it was going to fit inside of her. But she had to at least try.

 _How….do I do this?_

Meekly, she stuck out her tongue and licked at the base, moving up the shaft until her mouth circled around the tip.

She repeated this motion but with more intensity, wrapping her whole mouth around it while her tongue continued to rub and push against his skin.

Her movements were slow and shaky, unsure if this was the right thing to do. Asa started to moan. His breathing became shallow. Mokou took this as encouragement and kept going. Her mouth sucked and slid across his the tip while on hand gripped the base. With her other hand she wiped away her bangs, only to end up locking eyes with the man. He was breathing through his mouth, wincing with eyes half closed.

"huuaauuh!..."

Asa's expression changed to one of ecstasy. His dick was getting bigger and even began to throb more violently.

 _Is it…supposed to do that?_

The immortal breathed deep. With hesitation, she decided to stop using her mouth and get on with the main event. She crawled forward until her hip was directly above his.

"Mokou?" Asa whispered faintly.

"I told you… don't move."

She lowered herself onto him, stopped at the tip, grit her teeth, winced, and moaned as her body slid further down.

"Hnnng."

It was only a little bit further down from the tip and already she was having an intense reaction.

 _I need this. This is what I want._

Mokou let herself slide down a little more. Her lips pursed, eyes rolled back. Asa's own breathing started to quicken. And he spoke with a hushed whisper.

"Mokou… The faces you're making…are so sexy…"

"Sh-shut up.."

She hunched down propped her hands on his chest. Her face scrunching up in front of his.

 _What is this sensation? It's like I'm being split apart. But…It's not painful.. somehow it's…_

Down. Further down. And Mokou let out a high-pitched cry, a sound like a young chick or a newborn puppy. Mokou's eyes widened, mouth opened. Her mind reeled, half in delight, half in confusion.

 _Wait. What the hell is happening? This doesn't make sense. I've been STABBED before. My whole body has been destroyed in brutal ways, multiple times. How...How can this be so much more intense? This is…nothing like I've ever experienced!... Does this man have magic powers after all? Or is it…because I'm in love?... Am I in love!?_

"Mokou..I can't take it…I'm gonna move…"

"Hiiii…wait…I."

In that moment he thrusted into her. The monstrosity of his dick pushed through her walls, striking straight into her womb. Mokou's mind completely blanked out. Her eyes rolled back, and she fell forward, body limp and quivering on top of his.

The man's arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace, and he started to thrust his hips upwards again and again. She whispered into his ear, lips and tongue grazing the skin.

"So...big..."

upon hearing her words Asa stated thrusting even harder, his member throbbing even more violently. Her pussy squeezed his dick as if trying to constrict it even as it pumped into her. Overwhelming pleasure coursed through her body in waves. Every thrust brought out another moan as his dick stretched her out and struck into the very back of her womb. Conscious thought completely disappeared, and she fell onto his body as through floating in a raging sea. Only with insurmountable will did she thrust as well, their hips crashing together in perfect rhythm.

Neither of them knew how much time had passed. Their moans echoed across the walls of the alley, the crashing, slapping sound of their bodies rising above the music and chatter that still continued in the blue lit streets.

There were many who peeked into the alley and spotted the odd couple having sex in the orange light. The light flickered and waved like flame, while their bodies melted into each other, voices rising and falling. Mokou came again, the ground at their feet becoming drenched and sodden.

Some watchers stood at the alleyway and wondered just how long they were going to keep at it. It was actually quite impressive. Some of them gave a silent thumbs up, eager to give their support but still mindful enough not to interrupt the passionate lovemaking. Those who were more meek and modest in nature blushed and flew away.

At the moment of Mokou's orgasm, he leaned forward and kissed her again. They kissed with open mouths, tips of the tongue rubbing against each other slow and steady.

Asa leaned left and flipped Mokou on her side. He then stood on his knees and lifted one of her legs up to rest on his shoulder. He massaged along her thigh, stroking down and gripping her knee while he kept pumping into her. Mokou let her body relax, focusing solely on moving her hips in time with his thrusts. Asa leaned forward to grip one of her breasts.

 _Yes. I am in love. And it feels so good!_

Another orgasm. Another shift in position. And they continued in missionary. Now the immortal reached out and held his hands, fingers laced into each other. Asa was on top, her breasts squished as his body relaxed into her's.

Now he was the one who came. Mokou's eyes rolled back again, yelling out and shaking as her womb became completely flooded. There was force in his orgasm, a pressure that built up within her before it all gushed out in rolling waves.

The two locked eyes, foreheads pressed together. She let go of one hand and pressed a palm to his shoulder. It traveled upwards, rubbing his neck, before palming on his cheek.

And they kissed again, a long frisky sort of kiss. Mouths closing and opening while their tongues darted in slow, long touches. The amulet on the wall faded out. Mokou and Asa fell asleep there in the alley, spent and satisfied.

* * *

 **Searching Blind**

Tewi and Reisen wandered together. The boxes that hung from their chest had long emptied of pills and replaced with coins and cash. The black haired bunny whistled to herself while she counted the bills, licking her lips and flipping through the paper like a deck of cards.

"Every year we get more customers. Or do you think it's the same customers who come back to ask for higher doses? At this rate I'd say we only have 20 more years before you and I can buy our own country."

Reisen ignored her. Her head was down, ears pointing straight up, twitching at the smaller, quieter, more subtle noises.

"Reisen come on. We ran out of magic hours ago. We're both tired. My feet hurt. Let's go home already."

"She was here. Mokou was right in front of me and I let her get away... I can smell her… The scent is so strong but… "

"Okay? So what? She's just here partying it up with the rest of these bozos. Say we meet her, what do you think will happen? I sure as hell ain't fighting her. And you shouldn't either. Reisen, the doc said your eyes are already healing up fine. You'll be able to take the blindfold off soon. Don't make things worse for yourself."

Both of Reisen's hands trembled. They tightened into fists while her jaw clenched and her lips pressed together.

"Even after what she's done... All the princess has talked about these past three days is finding Mokou again. It's like she doesn't even care...and yet... Kaguya wants her back, so I will bring her back. For Princess Kaguya's sake. If that's what she wants then... If it makes her happy... If I can be the one to make her happy... She could see me for... If I can impress her ... I ... She..."

"You're challenging Mokou to a one-on-one. Think about it. Do you want to die that badly?"

Reisen looked like she would sob. Tewi stared at her companion and shook her head. Her tired eyes drifted around in an aimless, hopeless search for a killer. Tewi didn't even want to find Mokou.

And yet. There she was.

An inadvertent glance into a random alleyway, and she spotted the white-haired immortal. In the waning light of a burning talisman, Tewi could see that Mokou had tears in her eyes, but a smile on her face. Her arms were wrapped around a man who returned her embrace.

Tewi turned to Reisen, then back to the couple in the alley. She winced and shook her head. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, and she jogged over to the taller rabbit and grabbed her arm. Reisen's whole body trembled in her grasp.

"Come on Reisen. Try again tomorrow. Let's go home."

* * *

 **Author's References**

1\. The misconception of Mokou being a ninja likely rose from everyone spotting her destroyed/unfinished houses. Lots of houses must mean a village right?

2\. The human village's experience with the scarlet mist most likely caused alot of diseases as well.

3\. Ok. Real talk. What is the point of Akyuu's job if Keine is the same thing but better?

4\. In the story Lunatic Cage in Runagate, Eirin admits to lacing the rabbit's food with drugs. That shit is canon!

5\. Wild and Horned Hermit. There is a chapter where Kasen hears a loud bang and automatically assumes it's gunfire. Normal guns do exist in Touhou.

I will be likely be reuploading this chapter with a full sex scene, as opposed leaving things vague and generalized. Stay tuned! Or would it be better to leave the details of their experience up to imagination? EDIT: Done.

Commentary: I only now realized how similar Asa is to Aya after writing this chapter. I swear this was not done on purpose.


	5. Lunatic Red Eyes

**Isolation Chamber**

Reisen had always been able to lucid dream.

Whether on the Lunar Capital or on Earth, she always found a bit of sanctuary in her slumber.

In those matterless depths, she'd conjure up memories at will, replaying them and adding her own little flourishes and fantasies she'd remember the next morning. Sometimes she'd come up with her own stories, exaggerations of the life she had or the one she now lived. Tonight's lucid dream came in flashes, her life in the Lunar Capital replayed over and over across her vision.

She was the girl everyone refused to look at. The girl they all avoided. The one they had to seal away in locked rooms to teach in isolation while wearing tinted masks that obscured their faces. Reisen's eyes brought insanity to those who looked upon them. She was always alone back then when she couldn't control her eyes.

There was no telling what she would have done, to the Lunarians or maybe to herself, if she hadn't become a soldier.

Being a soldier gave her life purpose. A cause to strive for. Though she was still alone, her pride and confidence grew with every day of training. bladed and blunt weapons training. Firearm training. Hand to hand. The workings of Lunarian technology. Everything learned and mastered with the eagerness of a person who had nothing else. With pain and physical growth came mental toughness. With discipline came the ability to control her powers.

"The light itself bends to your ability, Reisen. Those illusions of yours are so convincing that they're almost tactile! They can even fire magic on their own. And your test scores. This is most impressive! I can't wait to bring you out. You'll be the pride of Lunarians everywhere."

In the dream, she imagined Eirin saying these things. Praising her, telling her how valuable she was. Then another voice spread through the aether. It echoed, repeating itself until it became a crowd cheering her on.

"You're like a one-woman army! You're better than any of the other soldiers! You're amazing Reisen!" This voice tickled her ears and made her beam with joy.

And the voice turned the dream into memory, environment changing and solidifying back to the isolation chamber in which she stayed. Outside one of her windows was Princess Kaguya, leaning against the glass cage. She was crying, hands crossed against her chest while her head leaned against the walls.

Reisen asked why she cried.

"I have no talent. I'm so useless. No matter what I do...I can never...I can never measure up to the Watatsuki Sisters. They're better than me at everything. Compared to them... I'm... I'm nothing."

Reisen couldn't remember her reply. But she knew it comforted the princess, encouraged her to keep on trying. Kaguya was her princess, the one she looked to and watched every day. Back then, she had said Kaguya was the most beautiful person she's ever seen. That nobody was a strong as her.

And in that memory, Kaguya locked eyes with Reisen. The first person to do so in so many years. Both Lunarians reached out to each other. The sun was setting behind Kaguya, but until those last rays of sunshine disappeared they stared at each other with their hands pressed against the glass. Both girls smiled, and their hearts beat as one.

Outside the dream, Reisen's heart skipped a beat. She groaned and rolled in bed as her lucid dreaming lost control.

A new image burst into her head like a blow from a hammer. The rabbit-girl found herself no longer in the Lunar Capital, but on Earth. Around her was a bamboo forest set ablaze, the air filled with crackling flames and the pained yells of fallen Lunarian soldiers. They were all around her, whimpering as their bodies crumbled before their eyes. The intense heat suffocated Reisen. Pain flowed through every broken limb in her body. Blood dripped from her wounds. Her eyes turned upwards and gaped at the horror above.

In that nightmare, Reisen watched helplessly as the blood seeping from Kaguya's body boiled even as it fell to the ground. Her long hair had caught fire, burning away until it fell from her head. The fair skin bubbled and popped before becoming blackened and charred. Soon the flesh parted until Reisen could see the bones within. And at that moment, the only sounds were the roar of the flames and the screams of her princess.

The Lunarian woke with her whole body shaking. Hands curled into fists, jaw clenched. She rolled onto her back and stared at the blank white ceiling above, letting her breathing return to normal, before rolling herself out of bed.

Reisen's languid hands reached out and touched the walls of her chamber. Her eyes opened to see her sterilized room, a white box with a single bed on one side, bathroom to her right. An isolation chamber built for her. No noise penetrated the thick walls, no light beside the dim lamps above. Now, just like then, she was alone. Though she had a full night sleep, her mind rebelled against movement. The girl had to tell herself to stand and force her body to roll out of bed.

Washroom. Shower. Clothes. Lunarian uniform consisting of a white undershirt, red tie, black blazer and pink skirt. Winding the tie around her neck wasn't too difficult. However, with her shaking hands she had trouble buttoning the sleeves. A deep breath to calm her nerves, to steady her hands, before she got the buttons. Then white knee socks and brown shoes.

Outside the window, bits of sunlight broke through the horizon, shedding light into the forest and obscuring the moon in a veil of light blue. Eyes locked on the horizon, Reisen took the white blindfold and wrapped it tight around her head.

* * *

 **Eintei Castle**

The purple haired rabbit strode forward into the barracks of Eintei mansion and walked past the thin matted bunk beds where the other servants slept. Half-blind to the world around her, Reisen listened to the conversations of her fellow Lunarians. She could hear them trading war stories. The usual bouts of horror, heroism, and pain. One rabbit complained of having a leg shot off. Another shrugged when asked about her crushed arm. Some were silent. Reisen couldn't see them, but she knew they were there. Every rabbit there waited for Eiren or busied themselves as the healing medicine took effect.

Reisen itched to take the blindfold off her face, but she endured. It was for her comrades' sake she kept it on. If she took it off then, they'd shoot her on the spot. Nobody wanted to be subject to insanity for too long.

Besides, It wasn't like it cut off her vision. The long-eared Lunarian could still see their outlines and their shadows. Could see their heads leaning close to whisper their fear of her, loud voices turning to hushed whispers in her presence. Fluorescent lights on the ceilings shined through the cloth. Reisen watched them as she moved forward. Bright balls of light that started at the bottom of her eyes, moving up and growing brighter until they disappeared above her head. It was so much like still being out in the forest, or on the cratered dunes of the moon. Blasts of magic trailing the sky before exploding overhead. It's the same then as it was now. All her life, she'd fought in that ever changing battlefield.

This sentiment was likely shared with the other soldiers. Most of the rabbits had become used to the constant fighting. It's what they practiced for in the Lunar Capital. It's what they continued to do now. Their status as outlaws and refugees changed nothing. They were still soldiers fighting a war. The only thing different was the terrain, their enemy, and their master.

Only now it was an enemy that never died. And every time they failed, they were given the shame of seeing their princess ripped apart before them.

Onward Reisen walked, her steps slow, her head down, ears twitching. Her half-blind state made it impossible to fly without her crashing into the walls. Even now she felt herself losing her way in the massive corridors of Eintei castle. Every step slow and uncertain. She couldn't help but wonder if the intruders she drove insane had the same feeling she was going through now.

Her hands slid along the walls, trying to orientate herself without being able to read the signs. A blind turn to the right. A turn to the left. Her teeth and fists clenched. She could hear the sounds of the other rabbits now, their voices growing louder.

Reisen stepped through one and found herself in the cafeteria. The smell of roasting boar reached into Reisen's nose. The rich aroma mixed in with the heavy and varied flavors of alcohol. The Lunarian winced as the laughs and cheers of the rabbits buffeted her ears. Some banged their trays against the wooden bamboo tables, singing unintelligible choruses. Others had quieter conversations, laughing amongst themselves at the far end of the room. To her right, the sounds of dishes clattering against metal sinks.

She picked out a particular voice from the crowd. A voice that sounded confident and cocky, one that spoke as though trying to hide an angry laugh. Tewi's voice. There were other voices too, a group that had gathered where Tewi sat at the table. The purple-haired rabbit wondered if she should walk over and join them. Instead, she put her back to the wall, crossed her arms, and listened.

"So, three nights ago. there I was. Up in the trees while the rest of the group lay beneath the rocks. Kaguya floating between us. A red mist coating the air and tinting the moonlight the color of blood." Said Tewi.

There was a sharp exhalation from other rabbits.

"We watched Kaguya float there, every strand of fur and hair on our bodies standing up on end."

One voice said something about "pubes", to which the others snickered.

"Shut up shut up!" Tewi sounded like she just squirted something out of her nose.

"So ANYWAYS. There Kaguya was, just floating. Nobody moved. None of us barely even breathed. A minute passed. An hour. A goddamn eternity of nobody even so much as twitching a muscle! And at that moment… THIS motherfucking fucker over here just yelled at the top of her lungs 'FUCK IT' and potshot the princess right in her face!"

There was a chorus of laughter. Both male and female voices, all varying degrees of drunk. Reisen grit her teeth before turning her head to curse under her breath. Earth rabbits. Vulgar, uncivilized, lazy, and most of all, impure. What would they understand of royalty? Do they even have any idea how much the Lunarians shaped their world in the past?

Despite her anger, Reisen kept silent. Her ears twitched above her head, focusing on the words.

"And then what happened?" An eager young boy-rabbit spoke.

"Well, Kaguya didn't like that. And that shot gave away everyone's positions. So Kaguya looked down on everyone and fired back into the rocks."

"More of us would have died if it weren't for Tewi!" Said another nameless rabbit.

"Yeah, that's right. Since I was the only one who climbed a tree, I was the only one that wasn't getting bombarded. And when I saw that Kaguya was distracted..."

Most of the females could barely contain their laughter. Some of them were banging the table with their fists.

"I grabbed my trusty mallet, jumped down and brained the princess! Her head exploded like a ripe watermelon! Brains fucking EVERYWHERE!"

Chortles, guffaws, Earth rabbits laughing and rolling in their seats. Some just chuckled nervously.

"I don't think we should talk about this." said another young male.

Tewi's voice became high pitched and whiny.

"Oh no! The princess got a boo boo! The same princess who likes to fuck herself on the daily! Surely we have committed the greatest of sins! Whatever shall we do!? Anyways, that's what ended another one of her eternal nights. After Kaguya revived she got fed up with everything and went home."

"So what is that? The seventh time you survived one of Kaguya's rampages? How do you even manage that? I'd be careful around her if I were you, you know how she gets with revenge."

"By now I'd think I'm an expert at avoiding the princess. All it takes is a little smarts. And I am friggin smart. I mean, a rabbit climbing a tree? Genius!"

"No. You're lucky, that's all. Tewi 'Lucky Feet' Inaba. That's what you are."

"Pssh. Luck's got nothing to do with it. It's all brains baby!"

"Nah. Lucky Feet."

A few rabbits from the table chanted. "Lu-cky Feet! Lu-cky Feet!"

Soon the whole group banged on the table and chanted louder and louder "Lu-cky Feet! Lu-cky Feet!"

Reisen rushed forward, her hands sliding on the walls of the cafeteria. She ignored the rest of the noise, mind blocking out the laughter and jubilance of the earth rabbits. The purple-haired Lunarian stepped out through the door and into the next hallway, the noise cutting off as the door slid closed behind her.

"Reisen. There you are. I was looking for you." Eirin's voice was low and stern, a quiet maturity emanating from her presence.

"Doctor?"

"I want to check up on your eyes. Are they still hurting?"

"No. They're fine."

"Good. You'll be taking the blindfold off -Not yet though. Follow me. Let's head to my office. You're close to recovering now, but I'll need to test out the insanity wavelengths coming out first. We need to make sure it's safe so you don't end up blasting somebody with a laser the next time you take it off. Don't worry. You'll be back to normal in time.

The blind rabbit nodded.

"Nothing more important to a soldier than her eyes."

* * *

 **What Changed**

"Okay. Please remove the blindfold and look directly at me."

The Lunarian took off the blindfold and opened her eyes to the white, sterilized walls of Eirin's clinic. The doctor herself was sitting on a swivel chair with her legs crossed, one heeled foot beating in the air as she jotted into her notepad. Outside the singular window, a grey mist hung over the Bamboo Forest. The moisture mixed in with the sunlight, giving the mist an otherworldly appearance.

Reisen looked at the doctor's face and almost burst out laughing. Eirin was wearing thick-framed glasses that distorted her eyes to make them seem humungous. The doctor flinched as a subtle wavelength bounced into the frames and broke the glass. Reisen turned away.

"Well, these things are a bust. That's fine. They'll never be in style anyway."

Eirin chucked the glasses into a trash can and reached over to put on some thick, heavy-looking visor sunglasses. She turned to Reisen and the two stared at each other for a few seconds. The rabbit was about to smile again, but the humor drained as she realized what these tests meant.

"Better, but the insanity wavelengths are still overpowering the blockers. I'll make better ones." Said Eirin

Reisen winced. Her hands balling up into fists on her knees.

"Will everyone need to wear something like that just to be near me?"

A familiar voice spoke out from the doorway.

"I wouldn't say that."

The straight-eared rabbit looked over to find Tewi standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. Reisen smiled, but still noticed her friend trying to look in any other direction but her's.

"You really think I didn't notice you there, ya dumb oaf? Kind of hard to miss when you're so tall. So what's up doc? We gonna have to amputate her eyes? Or are we gonna be wearing these slick shades right here?"

An unamused Eirin took off her sunglasses and jotted down more notes.

"Nothing like that. Reisen, I'll make a pill that will weaken your abilities. You'll return to normal in time. Of course, you can't fight when you're on the medicine."

"What if I don't want to take it?"

Tewi and the doctor exchanged glances. Reisen continued.

"I want to fight. If our goal is to find Mokou and bring her back, it's obvious that I'm the one to do it. There isn't any other rabbit here stronger than me, is better with magic than I am. With the way my powers work, I can make it so she can't even fight back. If I can fight her one-on-one, none of the other rabbits will have to get hurt."

Tewi tilted her head to the side.

"Uh, were there mirrors on the inside your blindfold? Because you're talking crazy."

Another voice sounded.

"Why not? The whole point is to let her know I'm coming. All of you are heralds carrying a grand message. It matters not who is the messenger. However..."

Kaguya floated into the room, her long hair and dress flowing in waves. She yawned and stretched her arms up.

"…As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I wouldn't even bother if I were you. Your fighting ability is nothing compared to her's."

Reisen looked away, jaw set, fists tightening.

Eirin leaned back on her chair and gave her own tired sigh.

"When am I going to bother with getting a lock on my door?"

Kaguya floated in and smiled. Only when she moved to the proper position did she descend so that her feet touched the floor.

"My gardening seems to have exhausted me. I'll be taking a nap soon. How goes the search for Mokou?"

Reisen looked over to see Tewi standing surreptitiously behind a skeleton display. Eirin spoke with her usual plain and tired tone.

"Nothing yet. Scouts have been searching all over the forest. We're setting up camps in key areas. We'll keep building those up until they've become sister castles. After that, we'll be able to harvest more food and make further expansions for the mansion. We'll be driving out more locals in the meantime, but something tells me you don't really care about that."

"I don't. All I want is to see her again. To keep things just how its always been. Give me something to do to break this monotony. I am getting so frustrated by these long nights. Every hour, every moment is feeling like hell."

"You're using your powers on yourself again?"

Kaguya said nothing. Reisen spoke up.

"I know where she is. She's in the human village. I saw her while selling medicine."

Tewi gave an incredulous laugh.

"You SAW her?"

The other Lunarians stared at the downcast rabbit.

"Are you sure about that?" said Kaguya

"Yes. Her scent was still fresh. Even now I'm sure I could track it."

The princess smiled. Her grin was so wide it was almost like she was baring her teeth.

"The Human Village. So that's where she's run off to. Why didn't we just scout there before!? The one place I can't go, lest every man there falls smitten to my beauty. What, does she think she can hide from me? No way…. Good work Reisen. As expected from my best servant."

It's been a long time since Kaguya praised her. Reisen looked up at the princess in surprise. When their eyes locked, Reisen blinked and turned away as fast as she could. It was too late. The air between them shimmered with an electric static that enveloped the princess' head. Kaguya winced in pain and her skin went even paler than it already was. She groaned and jerked her head back, turning and lashing out with one hand.

A line of magic slashed across Reisen's face. It cut into her cheeks and scraped the skin of her closed eyelids. Reisen's vision became red with blood, and she wailed while her back slammed into the cot. Reisen twisted and shouted from the pain until Tewi rushed to her side and held her arms still. When holding her back, Tewi still had to force herself to turn away and avoid eye contact.

The princess rubbed her eyes with her wrists and staggered back.

"Did you know, Reisen… In the outside world it's considered a sin to stare directly at the young emperor? Don't. Do that. Again."

Eirin never flinched. She crossed her legs and rested her head on one fist. To her left, Tewi was busy dabbing at the torn eyelids with a wet cloth. To her right, Kaguya pressed her temples with right hand. The doctor spoke as though nothing had happened.

"Speaking of the outside world, you know there was a big festival last night. A new holiday called the Demystify Feast. If you had gone you could have found Mokou there."

Kaguya's draw dropped, complexion changing to one of a snarling dog. She squinted at the doctor as if she had transformed into something else entirely.

"Did you not hear what I just said? Shall I have a repeat of my experience in the outside world? All those filthy men running after me and tripping over themselves in their lust for me? How dare you even say that! You of all people should know their wickedness!"

The princess tilted her head down and brought her eyes to the far window. She spoke in a hushed whisper, barely heard by others in the room.

"All men are animals. Savages. Nothing but barbarians after my purity."

Tewi threw out the reddened cloth and grabbed a clean one off Eirin's table. Without a word she held Reisen's shoulder and wiped the blood from the rabbit's cheeks and hair. She turned to Eirin and glared.

"Medic!?"

The doctor raised an eyebrow. Tewi snarled.

"Doc, one of your patients got hurt. You gonna do your job or what?"

"Shallow wound. Nothing to fear. But if you want me to help you can start by getting out of the way."

Reisen sat up and pulled Tewi's hand off her body. She rolled out of the cot and prostrated herself, sitting on her heels with her head down so she stared furtively at the white tile floors of Eirin's office. Tiny drops of blood rolled off her nose and splashed below in rhythmic taps.

"I'm sorry princess. It was my fault. Please forgive my carelessness."

Silence. Then a sigh from Kaguya.

"You're forgiven. Eirin, send some soldiers into the human village to find and capture Mokou. If she resists, kill her and try again. They don't have to hold back. Keep killing her until she comes back to me. Tell the rabbits not to return unless they have Mokou with them."

"Yes, my lady. There's a new device I created. A simple bag, but with material similar to the ones we had back at the Lunar Capital. These specialized bags should be ones Mokou can't break out of."

Eirin rolled her chair to the far end of the table and grabbed a brown cloth. It was tiny, no bigger than a napkin. But in Eirin's hands the grown square expanded, opening up until it became a full sack as big as Eirin herself.

Kaguya rubbed the fabric between two fingers. A wicked grin crossed princess' lips.

"Just stuff her in a bag. Brilliant. I'll be in my chamber waiting for the results."

Eirin placed the bag back on the closer ned table, next to the cot.

Reisen opened her eyes again to watch the princess float out into the hallway. The bright red of her dress matched the blood washing over Reisen's eyes, and she watched her disappear as though fading into the light. She grit her teeth so hard Eirin wondered if her jaw was going to break.

"Reisen, calm down." Said Tewi.

"Kaguya was never like this before…" Reisen growled. "...Even back then, she could look at me...My eyes… It's all her fault. It's all that girl's fault… Mokou... I hate it….I HATE IT...!

Tewi and Eirin watched the girl's body shake in time with sharp, painful breaths. Tewi looked at Eirin, eyes curved inward.

"Earth rabbits. I guess that's me again, huh?"

Reisen tried to blink and wipe away the blood from her eyes, only for another wave of pain to shoot through her skull. Her hand squeezed tewi's in a desperate grasp.

Eirin shook her head.

"You stay. Watch over Reisen."

She sighed and rubbed two fingers on her temple.

"And I'll tell the soldiers to keep things as simple as possible. If Mokou's in the Human Village, then we'll just ask the village authorities to turn her over. The humans depend on us, and our relationship with them has always been peaceful, so I have no doubt they'll cooperate."

Reisen shook her head, voice uneven.

"That won't work. She'll never go willingly. If we lose her now then we may never find her again. She could flee to any part of Gensokyo and adapt there. If we want to get her, we need to strike when we have the element of surprise."

"I don't think it matters. The humans will kick Mokou out once they see the way she fights. We'll take her then."

Eirin got up from her chair and strode over to the other Lunarian. She placed one hand over her face, and a white light engulfed the rabbit's features. The next moment the cuts disappeared, looking as if they never happened.

And as she healed the soldier's wounds, Reisen snatched the cloth from Eirin's desk and stuffed it into her jacket sleeve.

The light ended, and Eirin reached over for a fresh blindfold. Her voice was too calm, almost emotionless. Like as though her mind were elsewhere. Yet, her hands remained steady as she wrapped the new blindfold over Reisen's eyes.

"We're done here girls. You can leave now."

* * *

 **Opinions**

Tewi leaned back cupped her hands behind her head. Her easy strides heavy against the wooden floors of the hallway. Reisen walked with her head down and arms limp.

"You know Reisen, as brave as that speech was, it was incredibly stupid. And also unnecessary. This whole thing is unnecessary. Why even bother with finding Mokou? What can we possibly gain by bringing her back? If you ask me Kaguya likes to talk out of her ass. If she grew up where I grew up, nobody would take her seriously."

The doors of Eintei Castle slid open on their own. Decorations of with jewelry and artwork covered every wall and corner of every room. Oceans of painted flowers and beasts split apart to make way for the two rabbits. Outside, the sky burned with the midday heat, though on the inside a cold air blew through the wood.

"By the way Reisen, did you catch that line Kaguya said? The one about 'lest every man there falls in love with me'? I mean geez! Give me a break! Sorry princess, but not everyone has a fetish for arrogant, entitled cunts."

Reisen said nothing. Didn't respond. Only walked forward, moving through the halls like a ghost. Her head was down, legs moving in quick floaty steps that made no noise. Tewi sighed and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Did you know, Reisen, that I was in the outside world when Kaguya first became famous? I was there when that old couple first found her inside a bamboo shoot. You guys always seem to forget how old I am."

Her partner said nothing. Just kept walking, as if oblivious to everything Tewi said.

"Hey. You okay there?"

Tewi walked up beside her partner. Reisen didn't look at her. The Lunarian's bangs were covering her eyes.

"Hey, come on. The wound isn't that bad. You can relax."

The earth rabbit reached to grab Reisen's wrist. But her hand phased through it. The Lunarian's wrist fizzled into reddish dots of static electricity. Tewi stared as Reisen's whole body fizzled into nothing more than a red outline of herself. The next moment, the "clone" faded away to nothing.

Tewi went slackjawed before spinning around to stare down the empty halls.

"Please tell me you're there. This is a joke, right? Trying to get back at me for some prank I did to you right?"

Silence. A draft of hot air blew through the hallways, and Tewi followed it. The earth rabbit rushed to a nearby window and Outside, above the canopy of the Bamboo Forest, Tewi spotted a purple dot growing smaller as it flew further away from Eintei Castle. And across the horizon, settled in the plains past the Bamboo Forest, was the Human Village.

"Aw. HELL NO!"


	6. Homeless

**Author's Note:** Section dividers will now be accompanied by a "XXXXXX". This is meant to make it easier for me to keep track of them.

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **Afterglow**

In those last hours of the night the youkai that crowded the streets took to the skies and left the Human Village. What used to be a flood of humanoids and monsters thinned until only a few aimless youkai wandered the town in search of things to do. The youkai shops pulled the shutters on their booths and disappeared into the darkness, fading away like a mirage. Some youkai floated above the shingled rooftops to appreciate the rising sun for a few more moments before leaving to the wilderness.

A line of orange-red heralded the coming dawn. With each moment, the black sky shifted into a soft blue, and the muted semblance of the village took on its natural colors. By then the streetlights had been long turned off, willed away by the youkai who had set them before the festival. A palpable silence filled the human village now.

Mokou opened her eyes but did not stir from her position. Drops of morning dew covered her body and soaked into her clothes, yet there was still a warmth below and above her body. It took several moments for her to process what had happened the night before. An ache in her head made her grimace. A soreness in her muscles discouraged her from all movement. The immortal lay still, head resting on the chest of a man.

Her eyes widened. She peered down Asa's body. Condensation slid down his cheeks and hugged his skin. She had wrapped her arms around his shoulders while one of his hands rested on the small of her back. They had slept together naked, their clothes piled on top in a haphazard blanket. Her own rolled up pants became a makeshift pillow. Mokou blinked before rested her head on his chest, the muscle softened in his relaxed state. The man's steady breathing made Mokou rise and fall, and she put her ear close to listen to his heart beat.

She sighed. The throbbing in her head continued. A hangover.

Too lazy and too uncaring to move, she closed her eyes and squeezed his body tighter.

The paper seal stuck to the wall had acted as a makeshift fireplace. The crowd of youkai had made the village hot and muggy, but when the slept the streets cleared to make way for a cool wind that brushed against her skin. Now the amulet dimmed and lost its strength in time with the rising temperature. To the northwest of the village, the Youkai Mountain loomed in the distance, its peaks shining as the first few rays of sun broke through the horizon. And as the sun continued to rise, the light spread downwards into the Human Village, giving the air a subtle warmth.

Eyes closed and yet still conscious, the immortal girl lay on the shoulders of a stranger she only met the night before. Mokou didn't want to move. It was comfortable here. She had no plans, had nowhere to go once the new day began. So she lay still in that one spot, savoring the moments of peace that came with the silence. But then she opened her eyes and let go. Today was a new day, and against her wishes, the world continued to turn. Mokou smiled at the irony. How many eternal nights had she spent fighting in the Bamboo Forest? How long had she been trapped in Kaguya's manipulation of eternity? And now that she was out, she experienced a night of pleasure that ended too soon.

Yet that was the truth of her immortality. His lifespan would merely be one joyous day in comparison to her years of undeath. Eventually he would die, and Mokou wasn't sure if she could handle committing her feelings to him knowing that. They didn't even know each other. Whatever history they had when he was a little boy still remained muddled in her mind. For now, she believed that someone like her didn't belong in his world.

Mokou pushed against Asa's chest and tried to pick herself up. The movement just refreshed the ache in her head.

"Ugggh…...By the Gods…." She moaned.

Asa stirred beneath her. He groaned softly as he struggled to pick himself up, stretching and yawning. When he opened his eyes, he turned and smiled at the immortal besides him.

"Hey there. G'morning. You okay?"

"Yeah...Sort of…."

"...Ugh. My head... Tell me… Do you still get hangovers as an immortal?"

She smiled.

"All the time. I'm starting to suspect I might even be a lightweight."

Asa shut his eyes and rubbed a temple with his palm. He squinted left and right, scanning the alleyway as if trying to remember where he was. More moments of reorientation before picking out his pants from the crumpled pile of clothes. It was then Mokou noticed that in the light of the sun, the alleyway was open and in plain view. Her face blushed a crimson red and her body propelled itself behind him. She was on her knees now, gripping articles of clothing over her shoulders while she hid behind his body.

Those who stopped to gaze at their nudity giggled aloud, but walked away when Asa gave them a friendly wave. Mokou gave him an incredulous expression while trying to hide even more. With awkward movements, she reached past his waist and grabbed at her panties, shirt, and pants.

Asa picked up the book "The Gensokyo Chronicle" from the ground and put it back into his bag.

A rather dirty thought entered her mind. The immortal giggled, one wrist rising to cover her mouth, head turned away as if embarrassed by her own happiness. Asa gazed at her in wonder. Forehead raised, a blush showing up again in his cheeks. Mokou stopped and raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You still laugh like a princess."

Mokou blinked once, then scoffed and looked away.

"Old habit I guess."

He looked up to see the sunlight reaching down from the tops of the buildings, beams of sunlight illuminating the walls above them. Mokou watched as she stood up from his spot.

"Come on, let's grab a bite to eat. Get hydrated. Nothing beats a hangover like a good breakfast. I'm going to work afterwards though."

The immortal hesitated.

"Asa. Do the people here have a good relationship with the Lunarians? I mean to say, would there be any rabbit youkai or any of Eirin's people roaming around here?"

"Hmm..."

He stood up and Mokou stood up with him. As they gathered their things off the floor, she made kept turning towards the street, waiting to see if someone would confront them in their naked state. Asa spoke as though still oblivious to the danger.

"Yeah, I suppose could say that. Eirin's people have their own shop in town where we can order medicine. They make house calls too. And it's not uncommon to see rabbit youkai around the village borders.

Mokou's eyes went downcast.

He looked out into the street. Gone were the winged and animal-eared humanoids from the previous night, their twisting and exaggerated bodies empty from the sky. Now people walked on the ground with hurried steps. All with black or brown hair, proportionate bodies whose key differences were simply in thickness, height, and skin tone. Gone were the elaborate or flowing dresses of the youkai women, or their twisting, exaggerated bodies. There instead were the plain kimonos Mokou saw upon first entering the village.

"You sure you don't want to come with me? You must be starving."

She smiled and shook her head. Peaceful or not, she wasn't ready to risk being seen with him.

"Don't worry about me. I'm immortal remember? I have my reasons for keeping to myself."

"Immortal or not, don't be a stranger."

He stretched out his arms again before adjusting the straps to his travel pack. Outside the alleyway the human townsfolk walking out of their doors and walking down the roads. They formed groups and chattered among themselves as though the festivities the previous night had never happened. From the colors of the town to the people in it, it felt like she was looking at the village's mirror image.

Mokou watched the man stride out of the shadows and into the warm light. She called out to him and he turned to look back.

"Hey. Thank you. For not running away I mean... And for staying with me. I…"

What she really wanted to do was ask him if he might stay with her. To stay together. Take a break from work just for the day. The week. The month maybe. But she couldn't ask him that.

"I lo-"

She caught herself. Even saying the word "love" held complications that he didn't want him to be subjected to. He had a job, probably had people who cared for or relied on him. He seemed to be the guy who could get any girl he wanted. So who was she to ask him to abandon all that? What would he do if they were together anyway? He'd have to stay hidden, sheltered from the dangers she carried with her.

"I really, really appreciate it.…Asa. Please. Take care of yourself for me, okay?"

"I always do. Until next we meet, whenever that is."

Asa still looked at her as he stepped away. His smile matched with the rising sun, and she smiled back, watching him turn and disappear among the crowds.

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **Over-thinking It**

Then it hit her. Didn't he say earlier that he wanted to visit the Scarlet Devil Mansion? Why would he say that? Did he mean to explore the rest of Gensokyo? What was he dumb!? Wouldn't he need someone to guide him? She could be that person! Damnit! Why didn't she say as much before!?

The immortal girl strode forward and poked her head out from the corner. Random villagers stopped and stared at her sudden appearance, but by then Asa had gone out of started laughing.

She started laughing. "You asshole. I bet you said that just as an excuse to see me again!"

Her mother's voice came back to her.

"Remember Mokou, men are like dogs. Turn tail and run, and they chase after you. Look into their eyes and rush at them, and they cower away. Be careful in your courtings."

"Not really helping. How does that even apply to this situation?" Muttered the immortal.

It was too late now. They already said their goodbyes. It wasn't like she would do something degrading, like flying up to him as though she were a kind of lost puppy. Best to let things go for now. Besides, he'd disappear as time passed, and whatever connection they made would be lost and forgotten.

Mokou's thoughts shifted to her experience last night, and the pure ecstasy that came with his touch. Mokou blushed and shook her head, before storming out of the alleyway and turning right, opposite of Asa.

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **Wandering Homeless**

Over time the silence over the Human Village began to break. Residents opened their sliding doors to welcome a new day, before grouping together to discuss their experiences of hiding through the night. Music began to play. The twangs of stringed instruments filled the atmosphere, accompanied by the gentle tunes of reed and bamboo flutes. Street performers began their acts, loud voices callin gout, all of them vying to attract the attention of the normal salary girls that passed them by.

From the blacksmiths came the sound of hammers striking at hot metal, and from the unfinished homes came the grinding, splintery sound of saws cutting through wood. And beneath those was the excited chatter of the people, talking fast, frenzied over the terrifying experience they all had the night before.

Mokou noticed then that women were the ones working the shops and smithing jobs. These girls would leave their homes, and wave goodbye to the man (or men) in the house, before leaving toward their place of employment. Some of the women didn't even walk. They'd drift several feet off the ground, legs dangling limp below.

"Hmph. Magic." The immortal scoffed.

Magic let these girls do pretty much anything, provided they studied and could focus their willpower enough. It was so different from how she grew up in the outside world. A world where physical strength was so important.

Lines of people walked along the shade of the wooden houses, some carrying scrolls or books of different kinds. Rickshaws full of farmed vegetables passed through to the backs of restaurants.

And Mokou kept to herself. Watching, observing, trying her best not to draw attention to herself despite her unkempt appearance and obvious red-white clothing.

Most of the humans here wore simple cotton kimonos of greenish brown, and straw sandals or wooden clogs that clacked with every step. Their wooden homes were also simple, with muted red beams, grey walls and bluish shingles on the roof. Painted Banners hung from the doorways that flapped as more people walked in and out of the buildings.

There was fine craftsmanship in these homes. Each one sturdy and functional, with triangular or flattened roofs with windows and balconies where one could lounge about in the upper levels. It all went together to create a rustic, small-town aesthetic. Mokou placed her hands on the walls and felt the texture of each house. Most of the buildings were or of bamboo though there were a few made of the distant pine from The Forest of Magic.

The immortal wandered, listening to the birds that sang and flew to the branches and bird feeders of the more green-thumbed peasants. Cats gathered and played in the alleyways while dogs yawned and sat within the shade.

As she wandered the Human Village, Mokou couldn't help getting a feeling of de ja vu. Women flew through the streets. Vendors going around trying to interest people in their wares. It was the same thing as last night. There were even several women selling magical items for exterminating youkai.

"So this is what Asa meant." She spoke aloud to herself.

"Everything is exactly the same. Youkai weren't just here in spite of the humans. They were here imitating them!"

The immortal realized the spiritual implications behind her words. The fact is that Youkai are created when the intense desires and feelings of humans manifest themselves into singular bodies. These beings grow stronger and more intelligent with age, until they become a threat that has to be dealt with by humans. It was the same way humans used a mix of shared knowledge, rationalization, and belief to create the gods of Gensokyo.

In a way, the Human Village goes through its own cycle of violence the same way she does with Kaguya and The Lunarians. The Demistify Feast was the Youkai's way of seeing the conflict from a new point of view, showing the world what it'd be like if their roles were flipped on their head.

Mokou's thoughts returned to Asa's story of the Scarlet Mist. And she smiled at her earlier assumption. Until now, the immortal had never put much thought into the Human Village's relationship with the youkai. It turned out her world and Asa's were more similar than she ever imagined.

There came the thought of trying to find Asa again. Track him down to where worked. Maybe walk in simply to say hi. Or…something... The fact is Mokou didn't know what she was supposed to in this situation. Perhaps wait outside the door until he left? But how long would that be? What could she even say?

Ask him for another night together? Maybe… at a hotel?

The immortal, thousand-year-old woman blushed.

No. There'd be no point to it. Her original decision was to leave him alone and find her own way of living.

Mokou put her hands in her pockets and idly kicked at a loose stone. With no goal to which her body strove for, her mind turned inward. Her legs moved forward on their own, eyes still open to the dangers at every corner. But her thoughts looked through time, back at the memories she held within herself.

XXXXXXX

* * *

1000 years ago.

The night she and her father snuck into the village disguised as peasants was the first time she left the castle. And as they walked, her father acted like a tour guide as he led her through each of the town's districts. Right outside the gates were the samurai living quarters, the inhabitant's silhouettes visible behind the lights and paper doors. Young Mokou tried to recognize a few individuals based on their build, familiarized by watching them train within the gardens and parks nearby. Her mother would always chastise her when she tried to imitate them. But those punches and kicks were just so much more satisfying than the slow dances they taught the women.

It was when Young Mokou and her father reached the artisan and merchant district did she experience the bustling of the nightlife. Even at the dead of night, there were still shops open. They sold ornate pottery, paintings and sketches of both nature and naked men, scrolls full of philosophies, tall tales, and practical bits of advice.

Mokou tried her first peasant made soup that day. A hearty broth of rice noodles and pork brisket. Fresh vegetables grew soft within the stew, and she blew on the bowl as she picked up the noodles between her chopsticks.

"How do you like it?" Her father asked.

And the young girl smiled at the chef to say "It was delicious, thank you for the meal!", even though it was nowhere near as good as her mother's.

The memories ended when her stomach rumbled in desperation. An ache formed at the center of her belly. Not that there wasn't really anything she could do about it. Here in civilized society, no money meant no food. And as she continued to walk the streets of her mouth watered at the sights and smells of grilled chicken or barbecue beef. Meals of meat and rice accompanied by sauces of all kinds. Punctuating it all was the sound and oily aroma of stir-fried vegetables.

Again came the hunger. Mokou considered killing herself so she could revive and have another day without having to worry about food. Though it wasn't as though starvation would stop her body from functioning. Whether it was through pain tolerance or an effect of the Hourai Elixir, Mokou had complete muscle control even with every organ torn from her body. Starvation wouldn't stop her. Though, she wondered what kind of impression the villagers would have of seeing a walking skeleton.

She had once tried to eat her own limbs for sustenance. Didn't work. Every piece of meat torn from her body would immediately turn to ash.

The immortal sighed and continued her walk through the streets of the Human Village. Again her mind drifted back into her memories.

From the artisan district, she and her father walked into the peasant district.

An ambient quiet filled the village. Nothing but the muffled sounds of muffled voices heard through broken homes, and the cicadas that sang through the night. The sweet and oily scents of the merchant district had faded. Now the scents of moss, mold, and aged wood filled her nostrils. Gone was the music and vivid colors of the artisan and entertainment district. Homes here were disheveled and built with spare parts, asymmetrical and disorganized. Some villagers walked outside their homes, talking amongst their neighbors while they threw out the day's trash. They left containers of old food to the wayside where mangy dogs snuck through to chew at the bones.

Shallow canals wove through the village streets to separate sections of the village between running waters. Their current was slow and languid. Under the starless sky, they looked like giant lines of black ink.

There were homeless who sat to the side of the gravel paths, each turning away with disinterest upon seeing their grubby clothes.

And Young Mokou circled her father, always moving to be opposite from the strangers they viewed. She craned her neck, turning left and right at the shadows that flitted between the buildings. And her head tilted down toward those who passed them by, scowling at them from behind her headscarf.

Her father knelt down and peered at her, watching her head turn a wary eye at each of the villagers.

"Mokou, how is it you're so afraid of other people when a short while ago you were so excited to come here?"

She buried her face into his robe but found it unpleasant. The material was not the smooth silk she was used to, the color dull and lacking the aroma of ink and soap it carried through her home. This extended to her own clothes. The straw sandals thick and rough compared to the gentle tabi socks she wore within the castle. And the simple shirt and slacks itched and conducted too much heat. Within the first hour, she sweated into her headscarf, hair going stiff as it stood packed into a tight bun.

It was uncomfortable, but that wasn't the sole reason for Mokou's hesitation. It was a mix of everything. The realization that her mother could wake up at any moment and become worried sick. The consequences and lectures that would come her way if she got caught. She had remembered her mother's warnings of dangerous bandits and the nightly creatures that preyed upon the weak and defenseless.

Mokou's head peeked out from behind her father. Her gaze focused down the road, at the people who eyed them as they passed by, and at the flames that danced within the yellow lanterns that lit their path. Even those lanterns could suddenly grow eyes and a tongue before lashing out at them with razor-thin teeth.

The girl pointed down the road and spoke with a voice like a sliding dagger.

"Choen Obake. Youkai disguised as lanterns."

"Those only mean to scare and surprise you. They don't mean any harm."

"They could be onryu disguised as choen obake. In which case it could kill us both and take our souls..."

He grinned wide, looking up as he breathed in. A great sigh escaped his throat, and his shoulders dropped.

"Disguising yourself as a thing that disguises itself. That seems like an awful lot of work just to get two innocent people. Are all youkai such roundabout beings?"

"Mm." The girl nodded, though still keeping close.

"I'd be more concerned about the kappa hiding in the canal. I'm sure I saw one..."

Young Mokou gripped her father with all her strength and turned towards the shimmering reflections in the blackened water. Every ripple became a telltale sign of a being ready to drag them into the depths.

And he laughed. He didn't believe the existence of monsters and youkai. He didn't believe the story of Kiyohime, the woman who burned a priest alive for spurring her romantic advances, or the Yuki-onna, or even of Amaterasu the woman who created the world. He did not believe Princess Kaguya as more than human. In those lonely nights at Fujiwara Castle, Young Mokou saw the youkai. She has seen the monsters that go bump in the night and knew they were real, even though nobody took her seriously.

That's why she knew she had to be the one to protect him.

"There is nothing there, little one. Monsters and youkai are just stories your mother reads to scare you. And besides, not all youkai are evil. Some of them are just plain silly. Like the ones that crawl on the floors of bathrooms to lick up dirt."

Young Mokou blushed. She didn't want to mention the night she staked out her bathroom, net at the ready, waiting to catch one. Again she hugged him close and murmured into his hand.

"Can we go back?"

XXXXXXX

* * *

The immortal frowned as she reached out and touched the wall of a home built with aged bamboo. Familiar wood brushed against her fingers. And she spun as the Human Village loomed above her. This ancient Japanese architecture was too familiar, too old and outdated. In her mind, the market from a thousand years ago melded with the village of the present day.

She sprinted down the roads, head turning left and right as if in search of something that wasn't there. Mind racing, memorizing the town's layout, sweating under the heat of the sun. The layout of the village was so much like that of her castle town. There was the art district with its pottery and paintings, the entertainment district where street performers danced in front of a crowd. Peasant farms on the outskirts, merchant area near the center. Mokou's head ached as a feeling of dejavu swept through her being.

And she peered up at the sky, half-expecting to see the palace in which she stayed as a child. There was nothing there. There was no royalty in Gensokyo. No central government. No ruling class or samurai class. It did have celebrated families within the village, such as the Hiedas, but they were just glorified amateur magic users.

That was the one difference between past and present. From her view within the Human Village, the absence of her palace was the only token she wasn't where she started.

Mokou breathed deep and calmed her nerves. Her eyes peered at the gentle blue above. She had once considered her palace to be a prison. A cage in which she constantly pulled back into. Now out in the open, she only wished to have a home to come back to. Even after more than a thousand years she still wished to see her family again.

Her knees shook, so she sat down and crossed her legs. Eyes closed. For a few seconds, she listened to the ambient sounds of the Human Village. An image shaped itself into her mind. She and her mother, holding each other close, huddled within the tent that Mokou made from castaway pieces of cloth. In front of them, spiked game sizzled and cooked in the fireplace. At any other time, she would have been proud of the survival skills she had learned. But there was no pride. Just the sense of loss, regret, and fear.

The man they loved had died. They had no home. No future besides a life of poverty, exiled to the dangerous wilderness in which her mother had no experience. Their closed world had opened to become something monstrous.

The immortal whispered to herself.

"Mom. I'm sorry. I should have protected you too."

XXXXXXX

* * *

Hours passed. By then the midday sun bore down on the village, creating heatwaves and thermals on which raptors glided from perch to perch. During that time there were those who stared back at Moku with looks of pity or contempt. Some of the children dared to venture close, before scrunching their faces and reeling back at her stench. She had not washed at all since leaving the Bamboo Forest. No doubt that even now she was still carrying the dirt of the alleyways and the myriad stains that came with her sexual adventure the night before.

The body and mind. Soul and spirit. So often did they separate to exist on different planes.

Mokou did not wander the human village as drift through it. No direction, nowhere to go, the immortal stopped and lay where she pleased, before moving on and navigating the shadows of the human village. While her body floated without thought, her mind delved into the memories coming back to her now.

In the entertainment district was one building that stood out from the rest.

It rose three stories high, comprised of sliding yellow doors decorated with paintings of flowers. At ground floor were caged windows from which older women peered back at her with expressions that ranged the full spectrum of human emotion.

Outside those buildings, more women waved at them as they passed. These women had dressed in ornate gowns and shortened kimonos. The bright lights and rainbow colors drew Mokou's eye, and she wondered at all the women wearing such brilliant kimonos of purple, green, and yellow.

Mokou wanted to talk to them, ask them how they got their clothes and how they came to live in such a decadent mansion. After all, that place didn't show up on any of the maps she studied, nor did it have a name she recognized. A great unknown.

But as she strove toward that red-hued street, her father tugged against her hand. It was forceful, staggering her back, yelping in pain and surprise.

"You are not to go there Mokou. Stay away for as much as you can. If you ever see a place like that, where the women are lined up at the windows, you are to stay far away."

"Why?"

"Because they would not treat you well."

She didn't question him further but instead followed his gaze to the girls now staring back. There was something in the way they looked at each other, a familiarity tinged with a hint of sadness. Or was it pride? There was no way to tell.

The women sneered and called to them as they waved their fans in front of their face.

"Ooooh hello again sir! Have you come back to free us as well? Or are you having fun with just one of us? Seems to be that way when you've already got a child!"

He ignored them and turned, leading her down the dirt road towards the lonelier districts. Mokou wanted to ask why, but kept silent. Perhaps he would explain it to her later.

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **Lost In The Loop**

This was the problem with wandering with no goal or destination in mind. True wandering is reserved for those who could fly freely. It is for those who can drift along the currents, moving and adapting to the uncharted and unknown. Those with the burden of regret held on to a cruel weight, like a massive cushion bearing onto their shoulders. It pulls them down, bidding their bodies and minds to stay even as the elements continue to beat down on their spirit. Its softness and familiarity smother the senses.

In the immortal's eyes, the Human village became a stark reflection of her childhood town, and she wondered if it would be worth staying in the Human Village. This may even be worse than being with Keine. With the schoolteacher, she'd relive her memories once before they were devoured. But staying here would mean being consumed by the shadow of what was lost.

Mokou blinked and shook her head. She grit her teeth and sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. Her focus shifted from the past to the present, walking forward with her head down and one fist over her mouth.

A thousand years of her staying in the forest, and there hasn't been a single advancement in technology or new form of artistry. Same layout, same blueprint for every home, same rice and vegetable farms that lined the outskirts of the village. The world of a thousand years ago like a template for the world built now. Why hasn't anything changed?

It's possible that technology never advanced for humans because of the magic in Gensokyo. Since they could use magic based on the user's desires, anyone with an affinity for it could use their feelings to accomplish their goals rather than working with tools. Perhaps she needed to re-evaluate the Human Village. See it not for its material stagnation, but for its spiritual growth.

The sound of a high-pitched gong rang through the village as the immortal walked straight into a steel wall. Mokou rubbed at her aching forehead and ignored the children giggling at her from down the street. In front of her was a structure the size of a fountain, but circular and made with iron and steel. A sign hanging on its side read:

Please donate funds for the Moriya Shrine Nuclear Fission Facility.

"Donate funds…So it's a shrine? Who the hell is Nuclear Fission!? Not a god I've ever heard of. Did the people of the Human VIllage create a new god recently?" Said the immortal.

The immortal kicked at the structure with one foot, creating a dent in the metal plating.

"Probably just a dumbass new miko speaking a bunch of gibberish."

Mokou looked back at the strange signage. This was something new. Something to break the melding of past and present. Proof that, at least on some nonsensical level, time moves forward.

She stared up at the top of its cylindrical form and wondered just how she never spotted it until now. It wasn't very tall, but its black and grey coloration made it look ominous. It's black form clashed with everything else. An eyesore compared to the rest of the village. Then again, maybe her crashing into it had meant something. Nuclear Fission may be a new, wise god who sought to assist in her plight. Without being asked, Nuclear Fission gave her a divine intervention, challenging her to seek new experiences and not dwell in that dreamlike solitude.

Her sigh was loud and exaggerated.

"Alright. I get it. I'm moving. Thanks."

Of course, she never liked gods that bargained for her to do their bidding. Mokou appreciated Nuclear Fission's generosity but had no interest in doing anything in return. Just to make that clear, she kicked at the structure again, leaving a dent at its foundation.

"Fuck you, Nuclear Fission."

XXXXXXX

* * *

So she needed to move on and begin her new life. Food and shelter are the priority in establishing a new home. Humans there wouldn't take kindly to someone killing herself over and over to avoid the pain of starvation. Just the sight of it would ostracize her from every social circle. This village was so small. Population only around a meager 400. With numbers so low it'd be ludicrous for them to accept death as readily as the samurai did. There were no castles. No lords. No place for a desperate swordsman to complete the ritual of seppuku. Then again, perhaps this was the better cultural option. The embracing of a life fighting against death meant fewer people being told to throw their lives away for nothing. Fewer people committing suiciding and losing everything precious to them because of some nebulous and temporary social concept like "honor". Looking back, she realized that if her old culture were different… Perhaps her father…

The immortal slapped herself in the face.

"Okay! No more thinking about the past! Gonna stop doing that… Right…. Now!…"

She pumped a fist into the air and stomped forward, walking down the street and whispering to herself like a crazy person.

"New life! Human village! No more brooding!"

Her body leaned on a nearby wall and lowered into a squat. She was off to the side, away from the people and unseen between the buildings. To calm her nerves, she reached into her pocket and brought one of her cigarettes.

One puff. Two. Her vision became obscured by the white smoke traveling from her lips and across her face. The warmth slid across her skin, scents of paper, wood, and crushed herbs wafting into her nostrils, mixing in with the stank from her clothes. The immortal looked down at herself and noted the dirt stains of her pants and the messy, wild locks of her white hair going in every direction.

She needed a bath and a different set of clothes. Something more presentable to an employer. Something more in line with the current fashion of Gensokyo… And it was then Mokou wondered how these people would react if they saw her in palace robes. Long flowing dresses that dragged along the floor, only a little longer than her hair…..

XXXXXXX

* * *

"Mom. I'm confused. Why do we have to wrap these bandages around our chests?"

Young Mokou pouted and watched her reflection in the mirror. Her mother's gentle hands floated over and around her, winding the cloth onto her body. She tugged at the wraps, and Mokou's developing breasts squished tight against her chest.

"Because true men of culture like small breasts, Mokou. I think it's part of our identity. Otherwise, what would separate Japanese girls from those overgrown Europeans?"

"It's uncomfortable."

"Bear with it, little one. Don't you want to catch the eye of a prince? If a prince takes you as a wife, you'll finally be able to show yourself to the people. You won't have to hide from anyone anymore, and you'll even have a whole castle to yourself."

"I'd rather stay here with you. Also, that wasn't what I meant in my asking."

"Hm?"

"Why wrap our breasts when we wear such loose dresses anyway? If our clothes were tight and form-fitting like a ninja's I'd understand. But our robes are so thick they do a good job of hiding our chests as it is. And it's not like they'd see our breasts until marriage, so it'd be easy to get away with not wrapping them."

Her mother's hands stopped. Her sharp scowl betrayed intense thought, calculations and formulas playing out in front of her eyes. Mother took on the appearance of someone staring into the divine, unraveling the mysteries of the cosmos in that very instant.

"Um…. Mother?"

Her mother laughed. A high, melodious giggle like the chirrups of a songbird. One hand went up to cover her mouth behind a massive sleeve.

"They'd know Mokou. Trust me, they'd know. In gazing at women, men's eyes are keener than any gods'."

XXXXXXX

* * *

The immortal stood up and slammed the cigarette into the ground, stomping it out with enough force to send a plume of dirt into the air. This was insane. She needed to focus. Make money. Buy new clothes and find a place to wash up. Get a job.

If she left the Human Village, she'd be living in the wild again. And everywhere else in Gensokyo was riddled with youkai. She'd be right back where she started.

Perhaps the best way to go about it was to use connections. How much was Keine paid for being a teacher? How about Akyuu? Would they be willing to share the salary? How come she didn't just go to them from the start? A bodyguard would be the best way. But she didn't want to fight anymore.

Her gaze drifted back to the metal structure from earlier.

That's right. Donations. Begging was an option. It was degrading, but it was that or stealing.

Mokou floated herself to the artisan district. There, with deft hands and weightless steps, she nabbed two fistfuls of clay from a pottery shop and rushed back into the alleys. Once again in the shadows, she pressed her thumbs into the clay and worked her fingers to form its sides. Seconds later a perfectly smooth beggar's bowl lay on the immortal's palm. A spell was cast, and the object hardened into a brittle mold.

Satisfied, the girl walked over to the side of the street and sat down. Legs crossed, eyes open. Waiting for people to drop money into the container.

"Spare change please?" Mokou called out with as non-threatening and polite a voice as she could manage.

No takers. By then the sun had begun its descent, the skies above growing darker. The midday baby blue slowly turned to the deep purple and subdued orange of a Gensokyo sunset.

It would be around this time the Bamboo Forest would show signs of Lunarian activity. Eyes that loomed in the wilderness. Scouts that surveyed the area before the inevitable assault.

And the immortal closed her eyes and told herself that she was safe. That the Bamboo Forest was far away. Out of sight, out of mind. Just another life left behind in a never-ending series of lives and rebirths. She had to stay optimistic. Things would work out, just like Asa said.

The shop behind her opened its door. Out of it stepped an old blonde man dressed in brown khakis and a plain white shirt. He walked over to her and stared down with tired green eyes. He didn't seem to notice her smell, but his gaze shifted to the beggar's bowl in front of his feet. The immortal stared back, too curious and apprehensive to say anything. Without saying a word, the man bent down and placed a steamed pork bun within her bowl. A thin piece of paper stuck to the bottom, separating it from the dirty pottery. And with that, he turned and walked back inside.

"Thank you, sir!" She said with a smile.

Scents of heated meat and baked dough filled her lungs. Steam still emanated from its sides, paper beneath still moist off the boiling water. It was fresh. Straight off the steamer. And the immortal girl grabbed it and bit into it without hesitation. Maybe Asa was right. If people in this village were nice enough, then trying to integrate herself into this society wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps this could truly be her new home.

It was then she noticed that the paper beneath had a message written into it. The font was tiny, its small size and neatness a testament to the penman's precise movements. With the paper peeled off, Mokou stared down at the words reading:

I see you. Try to steal from me and get shot. Get off my property and get a real job.

"Fuck off and die!" Mokou wanted to throw the paper into the air and blast it into bits of ashen confetti. Instead, she took one of her cigarettes and wrapped the paper around the blunt. She smoked it until it was halfway finished, the pillar of ash still intact from its neck.

Her head turned and looked back to the shop in which she sat in front of. It differed from the rest. Rather than bamboo, redwood, or pine, the walls were thick and made from brick and mortar. Red shingles, a front door that opened outward rather than sliding to the side. Glass windows. Above the door was a worn out sign reading:

"Kirisame Non-magic Item Shop"

Mokou stood up and flicked what remained of the cigarette at the foot of the door. Then she left, eating the steamed pork bun in several angry bites.


	7. Asa's Side of The Story

**Brightening Shadows**

The young man felt Mokou push herself up from his body, only for her to lay back down. Her breath hot against his bare chest. Her rough, callused hands pulling herself closer to his neck. Hard muscle tone contrasting with the softness of her breasts, both rubbing across from him until she rested beneath his chin. Asa opened his eyes and stared down at the top of her head. He wanted to embrace her, wrap his hands around her waist and shoulders. But he simply let her lie on top, her own sighs tickling his skin.

Asa found it funny. Most girls in the village used magic for everything and avoided straining themselves with physical labor. That's why their bodies were usually light and smooth. Soft. Lacking any real depth. But Mokou was different. She was solid. Toned muscle beneath a decent layer of fat. Like the hills of Gensokyo during an evening fog. A toughness hidden behind a soft and shapely exterior. The complete opposite of her personality, which first appeared rough and coarse the during the night. Even more surprising was that Mokou was much heavier than he expected. In the best possible way, of course.

When he thought back on her story of eating drugs, he had to restrain himself from bursting with laughter. That was a story she'd probably never want repeated again. He shifted slightly. The immortal made a noise akin to a chirp, making him smile wide.

He also remembered how they met. Her ghostly figure staring at him in amusement.

Despite her insistence otherwise, Mokou may well be the most ninja-like of any girl he's ever known. Physical. Hidden. With past deeds that showed both fighting ability and a tactical inclination. Then Asa frowned as he realized another inconsistency between Akyuu's writings and Gensokyo. There were no ninjas in the Human Village. And as far as he knew, none of the youkai were ninjas either. In fact, the only reason he even knew what a ninja WAS is because his boss taught him. And his boss was a loner. So how the hell does Akyuu know? Oh well. Doesn't matter.

He sighed to himself.

It was strange. Asa should be beyond overjoyed. Should be celebrating at the thought of getting to lay with the girl like her. The girl he had admired the most when he was younger. Yet, her tears had bothered him. Mokou had cried, the image of which was so different from the shows of strength Mokou had performed in front of Keine's class.

An echo of the past entered his mind. A blurred memory of being lost in the Bamboo Forest, so many years ago. He figured at the time that Mokou enjoyed her fights in a way he'd never understand. Yet his experience with her last night confused him even more.

It even turned out she was inexperienced with sex. He wasn't even sure how to react to that fact. Being the one on top was the last thing he expected with a thousand-year old immortal. This too was something he should probably never speak of. If it were any of youkai girls present last night, they'd make sure he'd never be able to tell the tale. Or they'd just kidnap him and take him to their lair. More than half of the youkai girls that visited the Human Village had a history of capturing humans for themselves. Then again, Mokou wasn't a youkai.

Last night she wasn't some all powerful immortal. She was a human in a world of monsters. A girl sitting in the darkness, only happening to look more monstrous than any of the murderers and sadists that partied in the streets. And despite such an appearance, she turned out to have a soft soul on the inside.

Asa breathed and tried to quiet his mind, only for a wave of pain to shoot through his body. It started on his chest and his forearms, pulsing as his bones and muscles protested against the damage she had dealt to him. He scowled and grit his teeth. Perhaps 'Soft' wasn't the word to describe her. Still, he saw a side of her rarely seen by any of his peers. For him, that was enough.

He wondered what Mokou would do next, but figured there's no point in worrying about her too much. She was far stronger than him, and seemed to be person who hates being pitied. She could take care of herself. Chances are this would be the last time they'd ever even see each other. She'd wander off somewhere unknown and stay there for another decade. They were part of two different worlds not meant to cross. Last night he happened to get lucky. That's all.

Mokou woke up and groaned. And Asa opened his eyes and stretched. They had a conversation. Hangovers. Food. Some initial embarrassment over waking up naked in public. The couple dressed up in their day clothes and said their goodbyes. The man offered for her to come with him, but wasn't surprised when she refused.

Asa stepped back into the light. He blinked once, eyes acclimating to the sudden shine in his eyes. Before him Mokou stood in place, smiling back, red eyes and white hair still visible in the darkness of the alleyway. Though on this clear morning the shadows that surrounded her didn't seem as dark, the girl in the alley no longer the pale ghost he saw the previous night. For a moment he stood there, dumbfounded by her strange beauty. She was like a bonfire under a crescent moon. Or a lone lantern floating in the darkening dusk.

The man turned away and walked into the crowds. Back into the harsh grind of daily life in the Human Village. There was regret in leaving her behind. Asa wondered if he should have made a bigger effort to take care of her. Hide her from whatever it was she was running from. Maybe ask for help from the other villagers. It was probably better this way. Now he needed to get back to finding out how to visit the places he read about in Akyuu and Keine's books.

As he made his way through the town, he whispered prayers to any god that would listen. In those prayers he hoped that someday Mokou could spend a night with somebody without having to cry.

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **Heroes in The Village**

Still. He couldn't help feeling good about himself. Couldn't help reflecting back on the feel of her breasts in his hands and on his chest. The smell of her, like bamboo on mounds of coal. Her moans and faces she made while their hips grinded together. Asa's face took on a big, goofy looking grin.

The young man walked with both arms on the straps of his pack, smiling and waving his fingers at the workers and shop owners he passed by. With the wind through his hair and a grin on his face, Asa stood out from those who shivered at the horrors seen crawling through the Human VIllage. Their conversations were almost universal, all of them talking about seeing this youkai or that.

Fellow woodworkers and carpenters. Cooks and waitresses, farmers and peasants in plain kimonos. Blacksmiths. Artists, writers, fortune tellers. There were the vassals of celebrated families. Street performers who balanced on their heads and spun, or sang songs, or played on their shamisen. Among the villagers was the rare sight of a Lunarian pushing a cart while yelling out the prices of medicine. A young girl waved at him from the window of a bakery. Another acquaintance gave him a nod as he passed by.

Two girls cheered and waved at him from down the street. One of them A young, skinny girl with red hair and yellow eyes. The other with blue hair and a thick, heavy set body. As he strode closer, he noticed the shortened fangs of their lower jaw. Two youkai in disguise as humans. He smiled and waved back, but didn't stay for conversation.

The Youkai Mountain stood tall and imposing in the distance. It's peaks reached into the clouds, shining with the sunlight, a pyramid of white and green against the blue sky. Below it were the brown homes that lined the horizon. They walled him at all sides. More walls, sights all too familiar. How often did he wonder what his village looked like from the outside?

The man shook his head and faced forward. Eyes and body focused on weaving himself through the tight crowds of the Human Village. His brisk pace continuously bringing him closer to work. Asa thought of his boss, and how he'd scoff at his desire for exploration. The old man would lecture him on how he can only get so lucky so many times. The best thing to do would be to count his blessings and stay in the Human Village, where it was safe. But was it really insane of him to hope for more?

Asa wondered if he should go through town in the hopes of finding Mokou again. Yet that would be a fool's errand. Where would he look? Chances are he wouldn't even find her among the people. No doubt she would have flown away and disappeared. Besides, he didn't really need to. There were always others. Other people. Other girls. Other places. While Mokou was the main girl he had a crush on, she was not the only one he admired since he were smaller. The man breathed deep and looked up to the clouds.

His eyebrows raised. Mouth dropped in surprise. He was either on a hellish lucky streak, or was blessed by some generous divine god.

Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame flew casually down from the sky.

XXXXXXX

They drifted down past the rooftops before landing on the ground a few blocks away. The crowd ignored them, walking past and giving the duo a wide berth. Together stood isolated from the rest, like a tall rock in the middle of a river. Asa fought through the current to get closer to them. Mind reeling. Thoughts ringing out to him that it was now or never. That there'd be no opportunity like this to do what he wanted.

He would give Reimu what he had once, long ago, failed to give Mokou. An attempt at explaining his feelings. A love confession, like how he wrote when he was younger. The man drew himself closer, pushing through the crowd until he could almost hear the duo's conversation.

Despite Reimu being dirt poor, she and Marisa always showed up with some kind of variation on their outfits. New scarves, or new shoes, or a variant of their usual dress that was either heavy with flowing layers, or practical and minimalistic. Today the two showed up with the lighter outfits worn during one of their magic duels.

A simple red dress adorned Reimu's body, extending down to her knees, with red straps that left her shoulders bare. Detached white miko sleeves tied above her biceps. The one constant in Reimu's outfit, a red butterfly-bow with white frills, tied the sides of her waist-long, licorice black hair to the back of her head. The one difference seen this time were the brown flat-heel boots instead of the usual black, single-strap shoes. Her clothes were clean and freshly pressed, far from the dirt and stains that crusted over Asa's blue shirt.

Marisa tilted her massive witch's hat forward in an attempt to block out the sun. Her plain blue vest tight over the plain white blouse beneath it. She turned away from the rising sun and faced Reimu, the navy blue skirt puffing up and drifting back down as she twirled. Her sunflower blonde hair and tumbled to her elbows, while a little red bow tie adorned the braid going down the left side of her head.

"And we're here. What'd ya think Reimu? You sure this is the right spot?"

"I didn't say the incident was going to happen in this exact spot. Only that there's going to be an incident in the Human Village."

"But you can't say exactly what happens or when? I mean, how do you know it's your intuition telling you things as opposed to you making lucid guesses?"

"Marisa, when was the last time my intuition was wrong?"

"Uhhh….."

"Don't awnser that. My point is we need to be on the lookout. Something big is about to go down. I can feel it. So we need to be here to make sure nobody gets hurt."

"Right. So we're going to ignore the obvious incidents that happened last night right? The drunken brawls, the thievery, the possible kidnappings."

"By 'thievery' you mean when you went around stealing stuff yourself right?"

"Hey! How many times do I have to say that I'm borrowing the items, not stealing them! I always return what I take eventually!"

"Eventually..."

The two looked around at the rest of the Human Village. It was surprising how fast everyone had gone back to business as usual. Every shop and restaurant reopened as though nothing happened. When the two first arrived, they had expected to be harassed by everyone else, demanding harsher protection. Instead they were being ignored. This wasn't a problem. Both Reimu and Marisa always enjoyed not having to deal with the incessant buzzing of people. There was a reason why the liked living alone outside the village.

"Too bad the sages are never around to do their jobs. If they were, then we wouldn't have to worry about you not doing yours so much."

Reimu looked back at her, unable to tell if she was being insulted.

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **A Love Letter Written Ages Too Early**

Asa strode down the street and into the next block. He circumvented wagons, ducked behind palanquins, walking ever closer to the magical girls rarely seen in the village. A complaint rose when he accidentally bumped his shoulder with another villager. This he ignored. He focused on Reimu and Marisa's bright clothes, using Reimu's red bow and Marisa's tall blue hat as beacons to home in on. The sun was in his eyes, half blinding him, and he raised his hand to shield himself.

Suddenly he was right next to them. He stared with a look of surprise and shock. They were facing each other, talking about some kind of "incident" he didn't know about. That was when they noticed him, and turned to stare back. Asa's mind blanked out.

"Hello." His voice was calm and even. He took on a casual smile. "Hakurei Reimu and Kirisame Marisa. Good morning to you both."

"Uh." Said Marisa, before Reimu elbowed her in the ribs.

"Hello. Good morning to you too" They both said a little awkwardly.

"What brings you two to the village? If you don't mind me asking."

They exchanged glances. Reimu spoke next.

"Some business that may need taking care of. We're waiting for someone to show up."

"Whom we don't know. Whose about to do something we can't predict. At a time we can't tell." Marisa interjected.

"Oh. Sounds confusing." Asa blinked. Their answer wasn't very satisfying. Reimu shot Marisa a stink-eye. The magician only responded with a facetious grin.

"Well if you're not too busy, there's something I've always wanted to say. Specifically something I've always wanted to ask of you, Reimu." He looked to the shrine maiden as he spoke, gazing upon her face and noticing the gentle light blue of her eyes. Reimu blinked. Marisa spoke loud, breaking their concentration.

"Hey! You wouldn't know about any incidents about to happen do you?"

"Any what?"

"Incidents! Have any evil spirits showed up to haunt someone? Or have there been any youkai, causing trouble? Pretty much anything that can kill you, or destroy something people hold dear?"

Again Asa blinked. Eye furrowing into an almost tired scowl. Marisa had given a stupid question. All the nervousness drained from Asa's spirit. Now he only looked at her with restrained incredulity.

"That's… that's everything. Literally everything tries to kill humans. Literally nothing in Gensokyo doesn't try to kill us on a daily basis."

Marisa nodded, somewhat taken back by the bluntness.

"Ah. Is that how you got those? From a youkai attack?" She pointed at Asa's chest and arms.

Reimu spoke up as well.

"Those bruises. Did a youkai break into your home last night?"

He looked down at his arms. The skin where he blocked Mokou's strikes had started to turn purple.

"No. These aren't from a youkai."

The two women exchanged glances. When they looked at Asa again, they frowned, eyebrows furrowed, wincing as though they were looking at an injured creature of the wild.

"Do you want us to talk to your wife for you?" Asked Reimu. "Don't worry, we don't want to make a fuss. We'll only talk to her for a bit. Let her remember to treat you better. That's its not good to beat her spouse."

"What?" Asa blinked, confused.

"Yeah! Unless she gives us attitude. Then we might have to beat her up ourselves!" Marisa raised her chin and beat her chest in a mock challenge. Reimu glared at her with half-closed eyes.

Asa shook his head and held up his hands.

"No no. I don't have a wife."

Marisa spoke as though she already had her response planned out before hand.

"Husband then? That makes it so much worse! A group of guys shouldn't be fighting each other! Boy love should be the purest thing there is!"

Asa's voice rose to a heightened pitch, shoulders dropping in frustration.

"What!? That's not even -! How -… No! I'm single! -"

Then his face insantly changed back into the casual smile from before. What used to be a confused scowl was replaced by a sense of relaxation that permeated through his appearance.

\- Which is why I'm talking to you now. Like I mentioned, there was always something I've always wanted to say to you. A confession I've always wanted to make."

He and Reimu locked eyes. Their height difference made Reimu look up, Asa looking down. A look of apprehension defined the shrine maiden's face. And she spoke slow and cautious.

"Okay. What is it you want to say to me?"

"Reimu…"

At that moment, Asa's eyes widened. Smooth smile curled into a frown. He realized that telling Reimu the awkward confession he wrote at 15 years old would be a horrible idea. Those cringey, cheesy series of random lines and phrases could only have risen from the most forbidden depths of hell. Panic flooded his being, heart pounding with embarassment. Then his mind raced as he realized it was far too late to back down now. He said he had something to confess. So now he had no choice but to do it.

He had to adapt. The man's mind kicked into overdrive, changing the words from his teenage love letter. Both girls reacted differently to Asa's panicked face.

"Are…Are you okay?" Reimu murmured

Marisa looked back and forth between the two in increasing speed. Her eyebrows rose as far as they could go. Her smile spread from ear to ear, bottom lip curling over her lower teeth. The magician figured out exactly what was going on. The shrine maiden did not. Between Marisa's giddy secrecy and the stranger's panic, Reimu found herself caught in a vice. She wasn't sure if she should run away or start attacking people.

"What? What's going on? is it something I said?"

"Oooooooh maaan. Reeiiiimmuuuuuu" Crowed Marisa.

"What? What's happening?"

"Ahem." Asa cleared his throat and returned to normal. He had figured out what he wanted to say. The wording of the love letter had been switched out in his mind. No longer did he throw himself at her in complete devotion. Now it was more restrained. No longer begging, now it was merely a casual request. A simple invitation. The only problem was that even with the changes it was still so cheesy. So awkward and white. But it didn't matter. He was too far in not to keep going.

"Hakurei Reimu... Here's what I've wanted to say."

The shrine maiden gave a nervous laugh.

"Uh. Sure. Let's hear it."

Marisa looked like she were about to explode. By this time she was pumping her fists in tiny, simultaneous motions, rocking on her toes and heels in excitement.

The young man took a breath and started to speak. Her spoke quick, which surprised the two maidens. And soon their eyebrows raised in shock, mouths agape as soon as they started to notice that what he was saying _**rhymed**._

XXXXXXX

* * *

Shrine maiden of paradise. Brilliant like the sunrise. Loved beyond borders of the divine.

You livin in a world of killer lights and dangerous sights. So why do they say you're only living on bowls of rice?

You save the world but for food can't pay the price? Is it because they see you saunter with monsters? Wander for haunters? Fostering some secret youkai altar? They shouldn't mind! I don't care. I'll say to them 'that just makes me want her!'

(Reimu murmured beneath her breath "Oh gods. What is even happening?")

Doesn't that bother you Reimu? Why don't they give you some charity, look at you with clairty, make a donation and save you from that austerity?

Or am I wrong? Is there something extra I need to know? Some phantasm I need to perceive in the maiden's capriccio? What lets you go with the flow in not making any dough? How is it that only youkai go knocking on your door?

That's not how this should be. How you get nothing for stopping what these incidents bring. You're the one they should adore. The one they teach about in folklore. The one we call for, sing songs for. A heavenly beauty, not some Philistine barbarian boor!

Okay. I know this sounds strange coming from me. I'm a stranger. Just some guy. Just some admirer of a certain dichromatic butterfly. I don't speak from pity. I think your quite the sight. A beautiful maiden of red and white. Magic that glows in the night, making my heart go bump and my mind take flight.

So I'll be quick and say I what I really want. Let's not waste time. I want to take care of you. Fly with you, held up by you. I want you walking with me here the ground. See you slip into something comfortable so we can start making that mythical oriental love sound.

Am I moving too fast? My words over your head way out past? Listen close I because I go quick, get you with something smooth and slick. Leave some love at your door. Bed you in the sands by the lakeshore. Anywhere you want girl, a paradise you can't ignore. Its your fantasy I'd be signing for. You and me grazing through the night. Feel you nice and tight and way out of sight. Share in the taste of that sugar and spice.

Again, this may seem a little fast. Perhaps a little strong. That's just how it be, there ain't nothing wrong. I'd rather do it this way, with my heart on my chest. Honest words coming out straight from every breath. No tricks, no magic, no shadows unseen, it's all right here, needles in the seam. I'm a not a schemer. Not a long-bleeder, screamer, or a scared mousy moondreamer. Not a spineless bedwetter stuck on a fetter, sending love letters like some amateur book seller.

I want to see the real you. That person behind the border. Tell the world that I met her, showed her the better, that I lay down to be her best night petter. Showed her the world and took her for a whirl. Tell her she's one fine girl. Make her wound-up heart unfurl. Opened up to see her pure white pearl.

So stay, let's play, don't turn away. Fight some monsters another day. Stay with me for a fantastical lay. Let's meet in the shrine and forget the time. Bring you between the borders of the sublime.

And I say this with sincerity, no barbarity, a simple joint without looking for posterity. So go ahead, hit me, kick out my crown, seal me away or shoot me down. I don't mind. I'll just bounce back up for another round. And don't feel bad that I've got my own way to go. Moving fast against a life too slow. How could I not, in this transient world we both know. A world of beautiful monsters and mythical faye. A world where the reaper might come the very next day.

So come on Reimu. What'd ya say? One night, grazing together, going through the secret way.

And if ya say no, that's too bad. It's no big deal. That's it. We move on. Peace.

* * *

XXXXXXX

 **Shrine Maiden Scared Shitless**

Reimu blinked rapidly, mind still not fully grasping the situation. Her friend gave a surprise "oh!" from the sidelines.

Marisa crowed again, letting out a low "oooooOOOH!" that rose in pitch and volume near the end.

"Um…" Reimu gave an awkward smile. Her head hung to face the ground. Her arms were behind her back, one boot twisting against ground beneath her.

"This…" She murmured to herself "This… This is too much."

"OOOOOOOOOOOH!" Marisa flailed her arms and leaned back. It looked as though she were being literally blown away by his awful rap.

Asa just smiled and shrugged with one shoulder.

"That's my bit. Now it's your turn. What do you think?"

Another step closer to Reimu. Without a hint of fear or hesitation, he put a hand on the shrine maiden's bare shoulder.

"You and me. Together."

Asa let go and put his hands in his pockets and leaned to one side. Then he just stared back at her, smile tight on his lips, patiently waiting for her reply.

"Uuuuuuuunnnhh." Reimu kept looking at the ground.

"Aaaaaah Reiimmuuuuu~" Marisa couldn't stop giggling.

Reimu gave her a sidelong glance and yelled through her teeth.

"Marisa will you shut it already!?"

The shrine maiden took a deep breath and pushed a lock of her hair back behind one ear. Though, the hair just fell back into place after she let go. Then Reimu stood up straight and peered back at Asa with a passive expression. A moment of silence passed between the two, before she bowed. Head and back parallel to the ground. A perfect gesture of formality.

"Thank you for your performance. It was quite…. something… Um... Unfortunately I cannot fulfill your desi- your… wish. But please understand I am flattered you think of me as such."

"AH WHAAAA?" Marisa wrapped her arm around Reimu's shoulder and pulled her out of the bow. The blonde spoke while laughing, a leery smile glued to her face.

"Reimu! What you're supposed to say is 'Wow that wasn't half bad! But let's take it slow buddy! We can meet up and talk later!"

Asa raised his eyebrows and pointed to the sky with one hand.

"I wouldn't mind that."

"Um." Reimu glanced to the side, head still facing downwards. "I realized something. My intuition is telling me my shrine is under attack again. I should go back and check it out."

Marisa and Asa both shared the same reaction. They said nothing, but leaned back with their eyebrows raised. Reimu ignored them and did another quick bow to the man.

"Thank you for your offer. I've got to go. Um. Bye."

An unseen wind lifted her body off the ground. Red dress and white sleeves fluttered about in their own independent currents. Marisa crossed her arms and called out to her friend.

"Wait. What? Hold up! Where you going?"

"There's something going on somewhere else. Urgent! I gotta go bye!"

"What about the incident here in the Human Village you were so adamant about!?"

"Igahgobye!"

By then Reimu had risen higher than the village rooftops. Her body turned on its axis, facing the direction from where she came. She took off, becoming a red dot that grew smaller against the horizon.

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **A Magician's Advances**

Marisa and Asa stood, staring, the boy with a frown, the magician with a bemused grin.

"Wow. Reimu has fought some of the toughest, most horiffic monsters to ever exist in Gensokyo. And yet never have I seen anyone scare her off the way you did."

"So I'm guessing she's replying with a big fat 'No' then."

"Hmm. Most likely."

"Well, I think I handled that whole situation better than expected. I'm not dead anyway."

She gave him a sideways glance.

"That's how you measure success? Not being dead?"

"Pretty much. There are certainly worse things than just dying."

The blond giggled and turned to face the boy.

"You sure are strange, but you aren't wrong either."

"Oh well. Like I said, I did my bit. And I don't regret it... Wait. What did you guys mention about some kind of incident that's going to happen in the village?"

"Who knows? More importantly…"

Marisa turned and brought both fists to her hips. She leaned forward again, as if inspecting Asa's face up close.

"What? No love rap for me?"

He blinked twice. Hesitated. The fact is, Asa would have at least attempted something with Marisa. But whenever he thought about the girl, he remembred her father's threat. How sometimes the old man would stare longingly at his family photo. Whispering about how much he cared for them. His gravelly voice saying "If anything bad were to happen to my baby girl. I swear I don't care who it is, I'll find them and I'll kill them! They won't know who they're messing with. I HAVE A SET OF SKILLS THAT MAKE ME A NIGHTMARE FOR MONSTERS LIKE THEM!"

"Nope." Asa managed to squeak.

But his eyes widened again as he realized the implications of what rejecting her would mean. By rejecting her…would that break her heart…and would that constitute as "something happening" to Marisa that would anger her father? So would that mean he SHOULD try something with her….or not?

She leaned back and giggled. Asa gulped and shifted away from Marisa Kirisame's advance.

"Ah. I get it. You've fallen for the aloof, dark-haired beauty huh? So infatuated with that you focus only on that person and nobody else? Don't worry, I understand how bad it can be. I had a crush too, years ago."

The man wondered how Marisa would react if he said that Reimu was merely second choice to Mokou. Instead he kept his mouth shut and let her speak.

"Well sir, if it'll cheer you up, I'll tell you a secret about Reimu."

"Sure."

She leaned in close now, whispering into his ear.

"It's not like she rejected you because she wanted to, or really hated you. She rejected you because of her duty. Reimu has to stay a virgin. Or else she can't be a shrine maiden anymore. It's part of her religion or something."

"Oh…..OH!" Asa turned his head toward her with his mouth agape. Genuine shock rattled through his body. Though there was still the chance Marisa was lying.

"I'm telling the truth." She said, as though reading his mind.

"It's part of her job. Something about 'purity' or some such. It's a shame. A girl like that…bit of a waste really."

"I agree."

Marisa looked up to the sky and shook her head. She turned to Asa, leaning forward again with a gleeful smile.

"Shrine maidens are one thing. Now _Magicians_ on the other hand. We can pretty much do whatever we want. No qualms about being a little adventurous."

The witch took a step closer. Eyes unblinking, staring right at him in an unwavering gaze. Soon a coy smirk formed across her face. And she turned left and right, slowly, leaning side to side in a strange rhythm. Body language shifting into one of excited shyness.

"So how about it? Care to take a chance with me instead? I really did like that little song you wrote y'know. I can tell you worked hard on it."

"Oh….Uh…Thanks…." Asa started sweating. He took another step back, unsure of what to do. He kept speaking in an effort to keep his composure. Voice high with levity.

"At the time of me first writing it, I wanted to do something unique. Something nobody will likely have done. At least I didn't end up hitting her with awkward pick-up lines or something."

Marisa's grin widened even further.

"Pick up lines? You mean like the ones I've thought up for you while you?"

"You… what?"

"You've really got a mouth on ya. I was so impressed with your words. But… I think they'd sound better between my legs."

"….Wow."

She pointed at the traveler's pack said

"That box of yours is looking pretty heavy. Why don't I help you relax and taking your load…all over my face…and in my mouth."

"…Oh no..."

"I studied stars for a while now. Understanding the universe from the heavens above. Why don't we head back to my place. I can show you the milky way."

With everything that was happening, the man laughed. The whole situation was getting way too ridiculous to take seriously. And Marisa kept going closer. Both of them were smiling. Asa looked away in disbelief. The magician took another step and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. The two of them looked to each other, ignoring the passing stares of the crowd around them.

"You know sometimes it gets cold in my little cabin? I'd sure like something hot. Something intimate and raw. I can make a spark. But you what I really need?…"

She never broke eye contact. Closer she leaned in until she could whisper again in his ear.

"…Your big hunk of wood."

Silence between them. Around them were the wordless speech of the crowd and the clack of sandals or wheels on the dirt road. A cart of caged chickens passed them by, the sound of their repetitive clucks getting louder then quieter as they faded into the distance. Asa with his hesitant, awkward smile. Marisa with her trollish grin. Asa was the one who spoke next.

"That's terrible!"

Marisa raised her hands and shrugged.

"Give me a break, I just came up with them on the spot. You brought this on yourself for being all wishy-washy at Reimu. Want a bit of advice?"

"Sure."

A second of suspense. As if she wanted Asa to hang onto her next words.

"Next time. Lead by introducing yourself and giving your name. You totally forgot to give her your name! I've been speaking to you this whole time without even I know your name!"

"AAH DAMNIT! I KNEW I FORGOT SOMETHING!"

They both giggled. Again the crowd around them gave them passing glances before carrying on with their own business.

"I'll give you another bit of advice."

At this point Asa felt like he was being lectured. He sighed and waited for her to stark speaking again. Instead, Marisa stepped up to him and grabbed his arms. Her grip was tight. Thumbs pressing into the bruises on his wrists. Asa winced in pain, sucking through his teeth.

"Whoever did this to you, don't let them do it again. You seem nice, but you can't let people push you around. Gotta take care of yourself y'hear?"

He nodded. Marisa let go and pinched the brim of her hat, tipping it down slightly.

"I better get going. Make sure Reimu isn't freaking out too hard. So stranger. Do tell me your name."

"Asa Kazehira. Kazehira being the family name."

"Strange name. Well. I'm Marisa kirisame. It was a pleasure speaking to you."

The broom that stood on its own began to move. It tilted down, but lifted up at the same time. It did not fall, but floated horizontally behind Marisa, propelled by nothing. The girl took a step back and sat down on the shaft, leaning back with both hands griping the wood. Slowly she started to rise, the magician seated and rising along with it.

"Wait!" Asa called out when her feet reached his head height. "I may have something for you after all."

"Oh?"

"A song. Not somethig I wrote, but one I heard. I think it fits you."

She leaned to her left and rested her chin one palm. Asa wondered if he should keep his mouth shut. But at the same time he didn't want her leaving empty handed.

"It's a foreign song, from the outside world. I know a bunch of them, not just this."

Marisa blinked and frowned. Eyebrows arched. But that expression only last a second before going back to her passive smile.

"Alright. Well go on then. Sing it to me."

It occured to the man that perhaps it would be best to back down from this situation. That expression on her face said that he was about to enter dangerous territory. One where one wrong move could spell absolute and complete disaster. Yet by now i was too late. He was already right in the thick of it. The only thing to do now is push forward and go all in. Somehow, he had found himself in the same situation as with Mokou.

Asa took a deep breathe and started to sing. The song was slow, with a very smooth rhythm that let his words hang for just the right amount of time. He was not a good singer, so he didn't try to hit any difficult notes. Instead he mostly just focused on the lyrics and the rhythm. As he sang, he swayed left and right, a slow dance by himself.

 _Crazy hair and ruby lips_

 _Sparks fly from her fingertips_

 _Echoed voices in the night_

 _She's a restless spirit on an endless flight_

 _Woo hoo, witchy woman_

 _See how high she flies_

 _Woo hoo, witchy woman_

 _She got the moon in her eye_

The man watched several emotions mix into Marisa's face. There was a sadness to her now. Subtle movements of her eyes that looked as though she were lost in deep thought. He continued just for the next verse, keeping to the same slow rhythm.

S _he held me spellbound in the night_

 _Dancing shadows and firelight_

 _Crazy laughter in another room_

 _And she drove herself to madness with a silver spoon_

 _Woo hoo, witchy woman_

 _See how high she flies_

 _Woo hoo, witchy woman_

 _She got the moon in her eye_

He stopped and smiled, waiting for her full reaction. She frowned and scowled back at the man.

"Hm. The line 'Drove herself to madness with a silver spoon' sounds like something for a princess. Not me."

She continued staring at him. Moments passed in which neither said anything.

"You... You sure are strange, Asa Kazehira."

Her smile returned. Only now it wasn't overly excited or trollish like before. Now there was a warmth to it. Something that burned. Not wild and chaotic. But tempered by some cosmic wind. Like a comet. A real Blazing Star. He couldn't help smiling back as he looked up to her, laughing at himself for thinking up such a cheesy description.

"See you around Asa. If you ever get over Reimu, you could try finding me in the Forest of Magic."

Marisa started rising agin. Her body leaned forward so she could stare downwards. Hands gripping the shaft for stability. Asa called out to her once more.

"Forest of magic? No way, I don't have powers! YOU come find ME!"

She waved at him before turning around, sliding across the broom until it fit comfortably between her thighs. Her hands gripped near the tip. And soon she shot forward in the same direction as Reimu, disappearing over the village rooftops.

And even then, Asa couldn't help wondering if he were missing something important. Something about an Reimu mentioning an "incident" that was supposed to happen in the Human Village. He shrugged and started walking over to his workplace. He wasn't too worried. Whatever incident was about to happen, it probably wasn't his concern.

There were things more important to think about. Like how he just realized how bad he smelled. He had performed a love confession while smelling like a homeless vagrant, with the clothes and stains of someone who slept on the street. Asa stood with his mouth, staring into the middle distance, the shock of his own embaressment staying his feet. A few seconds passed before he he shrugged again and continued on his way to work. He did something stupid, but it was too late to regret it now.

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **Remnants of the Past**

The residences of the Kirisame Non-Magic Item shop had always had a sort of renown. Most were fascinated with the place because of its history as the former home of the infamous Marisa Kirisame, a powerful magic user and self-proclaimed "ordinary magician". Others studied and admired its strange Western based architecture, its brick walls and blocky shape making it stand out amidst the Japanese homes surrounding it. But most noteable of all was the mysterious past and eccentricities of Marisa's introverted father, and how the family handled her mother's death.

Marisa Kirisame's parents were both foreigners, people brought into Gensokyo from the outside world. Nobody knew exactly how they came to these magical lands, or how their romance came to fruition. There was an inkling that one of them traveled here while the other was carried in against their will. Nobody could recall how that couple interacted with the Gensokyo natives. There was no memory who they once were or what they did in the past. The entire village always had a general impression that the couple had done something great, something amazing that affected all of Gensokyo. Yet, for some reason nobody could think of what it was they accomplished. Any memories of Marisa's parents, especially those of Marisa's mother, had all but disappeared from people's minds. Those curious about their history would often ask one of the Akyuu family maidens for information, only to be vehemently denied.

The only thing people knew for certain about the Kirisame family is what happened after Marisa had left the village. They remembered noting how the shop had slowly changed. How Marisa's father had changed. He had holed himself up in his home, transforming the inside into some strange solitary bunker. Those who spoke with him said that he head become obsessed with his past, claiming a desire to return to the country he had come from. During that time, he would give strange requests to the blacksmiths of the village, asking them to install exceptionally durable metal shutters over the doors and windows. On the roof he had installed metal plates that "harnessed the power of the sun" that he ravenously shouted "wasn't powered by magic". They would build for him strange, foreign objects. Tools of wood and metal that could launch pieces of lead faster than any magic. Over the course of a month, the shop had become theft proof, with reinforced walls and sheets of hardened glass over its windows. During that time, Mr. Kirisame hung a strange flag at the inside of his shop. A rectangular cloth with horizontal red and white stripes, and a blue square with stars on its top left side.

And from there Mr. Kirisame's demeanor had changed too. Often he would lock himself in his fortress of a house, socializing with nobody, leaving only to speak to another business for food or work. The strange foreigner would offer to help with construction or to provide something that the other villagers needed, but he never spoke about himself, and those near him could only speak of an intimidating aura that surrounded his body.

Yet. after years of working as his assisstant, he could easily say Mr. Kirisame just wanted to be independent. The man took pride in his self-sufficiency, a comfort in knowing he didn't have to rely on others to survive. Even the backyard crops were grown for the sake of self-sustainable living. When they first spoke, Asa merely needed a job and knowledge of how to prepare for his travels. Who else to ask but someone who lived alone and didn't have magic?

Mr. Kirisame wasn't even very old. He was middle-aged. Asa just liked to call him that because his gravelly voice and mad-dog stare gave him the appearance of a crotchety elder.

Asa did enjoy talking his boss out of doing things that hurt his business. Like putting the subtitle "Tools for Real Men" at the bottom of the shop's sign post. Though he regretted not being able to push him to use the title "Homemade Kappa Tech" for the sake of getting people to accept youkai-crafted items more. Even now he assumed that the the electricity flowing between the walls, powering flourescent lights and work desks were gadgets lifted from abandoned kappa projects. Though how his boss got a hold of such things was still a mystery to him.

XXXXXXX

* * *

Asa pushed through the door of the shop. A bell announced his entrance. Across the isles, at the back of the shop, Old Man Kirisame looked up and waved at Asa, before dropping his attention back to cutting the wooden boards on his table. Kirisame had his usual work clothes of brown khaki pants and plain black T-shirt. His blonde hair combed back and gelled with pomeade.

The Kirisame shop had been divided into two parts. The main area, taking up the right most side, was the shop itself. Shelves and desks lined with equipment for everything from farming to cleaning. Near the Eastern wall was where they kept all their equipment. That was where they made their creations. On the Western side was a thick wall, and a door that separated the shop from where the man slept. A homely room with a fireplace, sofa chairs and pictures of the Kirisame family hanging on the walls.

The atmosphere within the store wasn't nearly so dire as the rumors surrounding it. Music echoed off the walls. Old foreign blues songs and country music flowed from the horn of an old record player, the needle sliding through the miniscule grooves of one of many black vinyl discs.

From the record player a man sang alongside the tunes of an electric guitar. The lyrics spread through store, playing in an even, calming volume. A fast song with heavy, steady beat. The shop's owner sang along with it, his own gravelly voice adding to the dulcet tones of the singer.

"There must be some kind of way out of here. Said the joker to the thief…" Hummed Old Man Kirisame.

"There's so much confusion. I can't get no relief."

The younger man took his spot at his own personal workstation. Kirisame had already set up the materials for his part of the work. Next to the wooden boards and sharp tools was a paper detailing the orders they needed to fulfil. Furniture and objects requested by the other villagers. Together they worked through each order, whittling away the hours in a state almost akin to zen monks.

At the corner of Mr. Kirsame's desk was a portrait of his lost family. He was younger, with the lines on his face not nearly so deep. His wife smiled back, red hair parted symmetrically to the sides of her face. And on his lap, clutching her mother's arm was Marisa as a toddler.

Asa stared at the photo, scowled, blushed, and then had to force himself not to laugh. There was no way he would ever tell his boss what happened in the morning. Some things were better left unspoken.

His body hurt. He winced as he strained through the pain, looking down at the wooden objects on his desk.

In front of him lay two hollow wooden tubes, both heavy and dense from the oak of the forest of magic. Between them lay a multitude of plant fibers, all woven together and braided to create a fine rope. The ends curved over each other, twisting and turning up until the end. Asa breathe breathed deep and concentrated, willing his fingers to push either end into the wooden tubes. From there he pulled the rope through them, tied them into a thick clump, and twisted a top into the open sections of the wood. From there he picked up the wooden bars, both of the now connected together, and pulled at them to test it's strength. It held fast. Asa sighed in relief. Even with his beat up body, he could still craft a perfectly good nunchaku.

To his left Mr. Kirisame held a curved wooden staff in one bare hand. On his other hand he wore a thick glove that protected it from curved metal blade that he pushed into its slot. A gentle nock signaled that the blade and wood were locked in place, forming a scythe.

Both workers brought their products to the section labeled "farming tools" and set them in their respective stands. Asa's work rested among dozens of other nunchaku, sickles, hoes, and canes. Meanwhile Mr. Kirisame's stood up, hanging suspended next to a collection of hammers, mallets, shovels, and other scythes.

And together they continued their craft, always keeping in mind the quantity of tools they made and the amount requested of them by the other villagers. Wheels for wagons or curved beams for the palanquins that carried members of a celebrated family. Spokes and knobs and wedges. Tools for farming. Tools for construction. Tools for demolition. It was all here, put together from the raw materials they requested from the other businesses in the Human Village.

Hours passed and they were nearing completion. A collection of tools and wooden trinkets were contained in larger cardboard boxes, all sealed and labeled with hanging pieces of paper. The next day they would have to go out and deliver the tools, but for now they could take a break and relax.

By then it was already late into the afternoon. Mr. Kirisame cooked homemade porkbuns from his kitchen. At one point the old man took a left over pork bun and went outside, claimng to give it to some poor beggar he saw sitting in front of the shop.

"That's unusually nice of you boss."

"I also told her if she tried to steal from me I'd shoot her in the face."

"Oh."

"Better be safe than sorry right? Every homeless vagrants is a potential thief waiting to steal what you worked hard for."

"If you say so."

The boy's thoughts turned to Mokou. How she said that she didn't have a place to go. No plans for the future. He imagined her still in the village, skulking in the shadows. And he sighed, hoping that maybe he'd see her again when he got off work.

From behind his desk Mr. Kirisame sighed. They had both stayed silent through the work day, checking back on the forms and notes for what the villagers needed. The rest of the Human Village had, found their posessions stolen or their houses damaged. And so the artisans of the village all had to be hard at work to repair and replace the things damaged by the bachanalious youkai. For Asa, last night past by in flashes of hot flame and smooth flesh. Fresh scents of bamboo and cigarette smoke still clung to him in both his mind and the stained clothes he wore even now.

Asa dusted his shoulders with his hands. His eyes focused on the windows at the front of the shop, noting how daylight seemed to just pass by without him noticing. It wasn't that he hated working here. He loved it in fact. But years of going through the same routine was starting to get to him. He needed something else. A vacation maybe.

The old man spoke, bringing Asa out of train of thought.

"So. Are you going to tell me why you came late today, boy? And you even goddamn stink! You're lucky we've gotten so many orders today. Otherwise I would have just sent you home."

"If that's your way of offering me a free day off then sure I'll take it."

"You're always welcome to take the day off. You just won't get paid.…Now out with it. Why the stink, and the dirt, and the bruises?"

The old man pointed to the bruises peeking out from the unbuttoned section of Asa's shirt. A spot of purple skin on his chest exposed for the world to see. He didn't bother covering it. On his forearms were the same markings, evidence of the beating he had to shield himself from. He smiled again. Not from the bruises, but the sex he had.

"Well, boss. It's because I met a lady last night."

"Of course you did."

"Someone I've always wanted to be with since I was little."

"Uh huh. You're lucky she didn't just kill you and eat on principle. So was it worth it? Nearly dying just for the sake of chasing some youkai tail?"

"I never said I nearly _died_. And she didn't have a tail."

The boss cocked his head to the side and gave him a tired look.

"Don't sass me boy. The fact is you should have just stayed inside where it's safe. It's stupid for people with no magic to go out of their way to do something dangerous."

"I say it's better to do something dangerous and stupid than to do nothing."

"And I say you're better off picking and choosing your battles. Find someone who will treat you right instead of going after some crazy, bloodthirsty monster."

"The woman I met was THE Fujiwara no Mokou. Not some crazy, bloodthirsty monster."

"First off. I don't know who that is. Nor do I care. Second, Those bruises on your body are telling me the opposite of what you're saying.

The young man glared at his elder, then looked for something to change the subject. His eyes rested on the foreign device resting on a corner shelf. A wooden box with a metallic horn connected that rose up from its side. A device called a "record player", and below it were the folders below containing the vinyl discs on which it operated. The stack of vinyl records looked thicker than last time he glanced at it. And he turned back to the old man and smiled.

"Did you get new songs boss?"

"Yes I did."

"You visited Kourindou? The store with the Half-Youkai owner? I thought you hated that guy."

"It's the only place that has objects from the outside world, boy. I may resent him, but that doesn't mean I'm going to ban myself from buying his products. And I know what you're going to say next! So here's my response. Walking through town while minding my own business is completely different from trying to get into some demon's skirt."

"Hah! She didn't wear a skirt! And also, you can't say anything about me going out when you went out too!"

"Like I said. It was different. I left the house, explored around, then came back. I had my gun on me. I'd be able to defend myself if I needed to."

"I had mine as well."

The two grimaced at each other. The young man's mouth slowly curved into a smile.

"If you didn't talk to anyone, that must mean you missed out the free booze. Lucky for you I have some on me. You should try it."

"Booze. From a youkai? No thanks."

Asa strode back over to his work desk and open the travel pack hanging from its side. From there he grabbed the cylindrical bamboo flask and shook it next to his ear. Within the dense bamboo came the swish of refilled sake. Then Asa thrust the flask at the old man.

"I'm telling you boy, no thanks!"

"Come on boss! Try it! I promise it's good!"

The old man tightened his fist and scowled at the wooden container.

"Boy. You better get that thing away from me right now."

"Okay look. How about this. You take a sip, just a small one, and I won't complain when you start playing your music. Deal?"

He scrutinized the flask, before looking at the boy holding it. His eyes narrowed. Moments of silence in which Mr. Kirisame got over his hesitation.

"Think about it. It's free booze! And it's good!"

"Okay. Deal. Just a sip."

One sip ended up turning into a swig. That in turn became a full, head-tilted-back chug of the magical sake within.

"There you go! Now do you think I shouldn't have gone out? The sake lasts alot longer than its supposed to by the way. It came from a gourd that never empties, so the sake itself will refill its container for a certain amount of time. Then it'll stop getting replenished once the magic wears off."

Mr. Kirisame wiped his mouth with one wrist. Even afterwards his mouth was still shiny. Asa couldn't help laughing at how the sake stuck to the old man's moustache, making it shine and sparkle in the evening sun.

"Okay boy. I'll concede. You may have terrible taste in women, but at least you have good taste in sake."

"What have I been saying? I'm glad you liked it."

Again Asa looked out the window, noting the darkened skies, and the storm clouds gathered above. Mr. Kirisame took another gulg before speaking again.

"Humans and Youkai shouldn't mix. Say what you want, but there'll never be peace between them."

"Why not? I hear stories all the time about pe-"

"To hell with your stories. The only ones in those stories are either youkai or anti-social outcasts. Go outside the village and all you get are either sadistic monsters or humans who don't care about regular people."

Kirisame's gaze drifted once again to the family photo on his desk. He winced at the sight of it. Asa glanced at him from the side, remembering Marisa's advice.

"I don't think that's true boss. They do care, even if they're never around to show it."

"If they cared about humans, they would kill youkai. They'd actually do something to stop them from hurting the people in the village."

Old Man Kirisame spoke as though he didn't hear him. He kept going, speaking as much to himself as to Asa.

"Every time you time you hurt someone, you hurt their friends and family too. And everytime you get hurt, the ones who care about you are also in pain. Nobody is truly alone. Everyone belongs to some group or other. So these youkai, who go around killing humans. You say they can live peacefully? Do you really think people are magically forgive the things they've done? Do they even feel remorse for the pain they caused? The fact is that they don't. They're evenn happy to do it again. And you want to forgive them for it… Where is the justice in that?"

"But if everyone is hurting each other for the sake of retribution, wouldn't that lead to an endless cycle of revenge? Nothing but back and forth battles that eventually become pointless."

"Some people deserve their revenge. Sometimes there are monsters who deserve to die. Yes. You are right about the cycle of vengeance. But tell me boy, what would you do if someone hurt the person you care about?"

Pieces of a memory bubbled to the surface. Flashes of the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, darkness all around. All sense of direction lost. A crowd of rabbits gathered in a circle and laughing. Some misshapen, mutilated _thing_ yelling out in the middle of them. He thought of Mokou, and the despair in the immortal's eyes, and her happiness when they lay together. And he remembered the stories that Keine told his class when he was younger, and the time he ventured into the wilderness to see if they were true. Asa he shook his head and tried not to think of the past. Some things were better left forgotten. Yet at the same time, he knew the boss had a point.

"I'd want them to pay for what they did."

He glanced through the windows. Outside the streets were clearing, everyone heading back into their wooden homes save for a few stragglers. The sky had grown dark. The sunlight that once beamed in through the windows now dimmed and disappeared with the setting sun. The clouds that he spotted earlier were gathering above, forming a grey mass that blanketed the sky. A forlorn wind howled across the shop, rattling the signs outside and pulling at the curtains and banners that hung from the shops. Those left in the street clutched at their bags or kimono's, fighting against the wind.

"A storm's coming boy. You should head out before you get caught."

He was right. Their work was done. Time to leave. Asa looked over at his workdesk, the tools and discarded materials still sitting unattended. As usual he would have to tidy up. Make sure everything was neat and clean so Mr. Kirisame didn't have to clean up after a mess that he made.

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **He Smells Like Her**

There was a jingle from the front door of the shop. The bell signalling that a customer had walked in. The old man called out from back of the store.

"Hello. Welcome to Kirisame Workshop!"

No response. When both men looked past the shelves, they saw a lone figure sillouhetted within the windows. A rabbit woman with long, violet hair that flowed onto the floor. Thin rabbit ears that stood up off the top of her head. Black blazer, red tie, pink skirt, brown shoes and white kneesocks. She didn't move. It didn't even seem like she was breathing, as if it were just a statue that moved itself into the store. Most disconcerting to Asa was how he couldn't quite get a look of the woman's face. It was as though her very being was a smear on reality.

Asa squinted down the isle, trying to focus his vision. He stared at the strange figure at the front of the shop, and realized that it wasn't so much that he couldn't quite see her eyes. The strange thing in front of him _had no eyes._

Mr. Kirisame Kirisame took a last quick sip of the flask before leaving the counter. He called out to the shadow, walking forward, voice calm and confident but with his hands floating close to his side.

"You're one of the doctor's girls? Sorry, we're not interested in any medicines. And we're not open for business at this time. Come back tomorrow during actual work hours."

Silence. Stillness. The lone shadow did nothing to signify its life. Asa called out to it, just to see how it would react.

"Are you a customer? We're not open for business right now. But if it's nature calling, bathroom's to your left." Old Man Kirisame looked back at him as though he said something stupid. They both stared back at the strange rabbit woman, only to see it disappear. It blurred itself out, body splitting and bending as would a reflection against the ripples of a lake. It's color changed, becoming a uniform reddish hue, blurring until it become just a featureless mass, before fading out.

Something moved a few isles to the right. Long, flowing, violet hair that dragged against the floor. A feminine figure moving through the isle, going straight towards the back end. She was leaning forward, arms stiff at her side, body tense. It was the same as the one in front, only only this one moving and breathing in ragged takes. This one had a white blindfold wrapped around her head, and as she got closer, one hand reached up to pull it her face. Asa stared, recognizing the rabbit from his books.

"Reisen?"

When the cloth came loose, the woman's red eyes lit up. Bright red light shot forth into his body, surrounding it, circling him as though pulling him into some strange tunnel. The light from the girl's eyes grew brighter, lens flares that filled his vision, drowning everything in a swirling hues of pink, purple, and red. His head throbbed, and he groaned loud as was suddenly hit with an intense, insurmountable pain in every part of his body.

"You… You smell like she does."

Each word sounded like it were being whispered directly into his ear. The pain continued, wracking his body, making it twitch untcontrollably. Reisen pulled back the cloth over her face, and the bright red light had subsided. Now the world swirled across his vision, the walls and floors and ceilings melted together, becoming colorful clumps like the sight of spoiled milk. His body everything swayed like a rowboat caught in a hurricane, and he raised his hands up to steady himself.

"Why… why do you have her scent!?"

He blinked, and Reisen was directly in front of his face, her image broken and distorted from Asa's vertigo. A formless, faceless thing with reddish haloes around its eyes. She pushed her forearm on the base of his throat. His back slammed against the wall, and Reisen pointed a glowing finger into his cheek.

"Tell me where Mokou is!"

He responded with a pained. "Ugh. I think you're a little confused."

"Don't play games with me! I know you've seen her! I've spent decades memorizing the way she smells!"

"Weird flex but okay."

Before Reisen could voice a response, a click echoed from behind her. Her ears twitched, listening to an old man's growl.

"Get away from him. Right. Now."

"This is none of your business old man. Stand aside."

Mr. Kirisame roared

"THIS IS MY SHOP! THIS IS MY BUSINESS!"

But Reisen ignored him. Her head turned back to Asa, and she leaned in close until he could feel her breath on his face. Her nose twitched. The sound of her sniffing filled his ears. The sight of her white blindfold filled his vision.

"I smell her all over you…. Ah... So I see…. You stole her away from Kaguya... You're going to wish you hadn't.."

"If you want to know how I did it, you can bend down and sniff my dick too."

Her weight shifted, front leg moving to the side so that she could slam her knee into Asa's chest. Pain shot through his body, low groan escaping his mouth as his lungs deflated from the impact. Reisen then turned around and focused her magic in front of her. Two circles of shining violet-white formed, overlapping each other as they covered Reisen in a magic shield. Mr. Kirisame pulled the trigger. The rifle kicked back from the explosion at its barrel. A lead bullet raced through the air faster than the eye could see, smashing into the magic shield and shattering it with the sound of broken metal. The shield had stopped the bullet, but the guard break had left her stunned and unable to move.

The rabbit had not expected the shot to be so strong. Had not expected her defenses to fall apart from the hit. As the bullet fell to the floor, so too did the remnants of her defenses, the energies falling to the floor and disappearing. And the next thing she knew, the boy yelled into her ears, kicking off the wall and pushing against her back. Her arms reached up to catch herself from slamming her stomach against the side of his workstation. His arms looped around her head, bringing her into a rear naked choke.

Reisen dropped her knees and strafed left, while her upper body leaned to the right, forcing him to tilt to one side. She then pushed against him with her left leg while her right leg straightened behind him. Asa couldn't react fast enough from pain. He was swept off his feet, and his shoulder slammed against the tile floor with an audible thud.

There was the metallic Bang of Mr. Krisame's rifle firing from across the shop. Reisen's image blurred and fizzled out just like the one on at the front door. A bit of wall cracked and exploded into bits of masonry. By the time the after-image disappeared, the rabbit was already halfway through the isles, magic bullets spraying from her pointer fingers in rapid pews.

Asa wanted to throw up. Everything on him shook. The world still swirled around him, everything off kilter, as though he were a pendulum knocked down a flight of stairs. But he still he struggled to get up. Palms pushing against the floor. Knees sliding until he could stand up onto his feet. Reisen had already flown over to the other side of the shop. And in Asa' blurred vision he saw the old man and the rabbit shifting from isle to isle, muzzle flashing in bursts of orange light, while red streaks of magic burrowed into the floor and walls. Bits of wood and bolts of wayward energy flew from the explosions, raining hot against his skin.

Mr. Kirisame's voice roared above the explosions, calling out to him.

"Boy! What are you doing!? Get out of here already!"

With a groan, he took a revolver out of the holster at his waist.

"No. Let's see how far I can make it."

He aimed it at one of Reisen's images, unable to tell if it were real or not, and pulled the trigger. It fizzled out, with the bullet shattering the window behind it. He fired five more times, slowly getting up off the floor as he did so. two more illusions disappeared. The last bullet struck Reisen and broke her magic barrier again, giving Kirisame time run to another section of the store.

Asa took a deep breath, getting his bearings, waiting a moment for the vertigo to wear off, before toward the boss' desk. He slid across its surface before smashing the glass case behind it. Rows of guns presented themselves to him, and he reached through the glass to grab the double-barrel he was so familiar with.

Right when he turned around, Reisen was upon him again. She was in point blank range, close enough for him see the stain of red on her undamaged blazer. He pointed into her stomach and fired, but by then she had knocked it upwards and to the side. The roof burst outwards. White sparks, broken glass, and bits of masonry fell on top of their heads. Darkened sunlight flowed in through the roof, putting both of them in a grey spotlight. The wind howled above, while small droplets of rain falling inwards in a light drizzle.

Asa tried to smash the butt of his gun into Reisen's face. It bounced off her shield, and Reisen retaliated with a right elbow into his nose. More pain. Now blood splashing down his chin. The young man turned his head, then his body, shoulder aimed downward, going with the momentum of the hit until he rolled to the side. When he got to his feet he turned and leaped backwards, aiming the shotgun where he once stood.

He blinked. There were more than eight images of the rabbit, all of them floating in the air, spread out in a uniform pattern. He aimed at the center mass and pulled the trigger. Most of them disappeared, but the one at the top right sped towards him, slamming both feet into his chest.

"Boy!" Yelled Mr. Kirisame. The old man was bloodied and bruised. Blood dripped from two spots. One to the side near his ribs, and another on his left shoulder. He couldn't hold the rifle anymore, so at his left hand was a revolver pointed at the rabbit. Reisen looked back and stared.

It was then the backdoor burst open. And two figures stormed into the building just in time to see the final bullet.

Reisen brought one hand up, her pointer finger glowing violet pink. And she fired just as the other man pulled the trigger. Both bullets racing past each other until they found their mark. Mr. Kirisame was knocked back, twisting in the air until he fell face down onto the floor. Blood dripped from the side of his face, a gnarled gash on his cheek. Reisen grunted and staggered back. The lead bullet had clipped one of her ears, and it now bled from the side, striping her long flowing hair in a red highlight.

She knew she could have blocked the bullet with magic, but didn't want to risk another stunned state. She turned around just in time to see the young man moving beneath her feet. Asa brought his gun up and aimed it his attacker. But Reisen grabbed it and pried it off his fingers.

Reisen took out a brown cloth from her pocket, and tossed onto Asa's legs. The both watched as it expanded to become something that looked to be a giant pillowcase. It moved on its own, growing until it could wrap itself around his body, swallowing him from the feet up. Soon it it covered his chest. And then it stopped as Reisen turned towards the backdoor. It had burst inwards and two figures appeared within the shop. Though they both didn't step into it, more one carried the other.

Asa looked picked his head up and looked over at the newcomers. The one being carried was a small rabbit youkai. Tewi, the same rabbit he'd see selling the medicines on the street. Except now she had bruises and burns all over her body. Blood dripped down a broken nose. A wrinkle on her shirt as though kicked in the chest.

When he looked at the other one, he almost didn't recognize it. Red eyes filled with rage and hate and desperation. It clutched Tewi by the skin on the back of her neck. Knuckles bloodied. Head leaned down and eyes up, giving it the look of a bird of prey. He met its gaze. He watched its face soften longer they stared at each other. Finally Mokou and Asa whispered each other's names.

XXXXXXX

* * *

 **Author's Commentary:**

To everyone who expected a massive fight scene, I apologize to have been teasing you for so long. I promise I'll deliver something crazy next chapter!

For those wondering what was the point of this chapter:  
1\. I needed Reimu and Marisa to NOT be in the Human Village. Somehow, someway, I needed Reimu to leave, so that when shit goes down, the main protagonists of the Touhou series don't show up too early and resolve everything before it gets interesting.

Most other works have given me the impression that although Reimu doesn't shy away from physical danger, she mostly wants to be left alone by normal people. So if she can't get scared away by some monster attacking, why not hit her with supreme levels of cringe?

That being said, I had so much fun writing both that stupid rap, and even the pick-up lines afterwards. Though a part of me is still saying "Please for the love of god never do that again."

2\. I wanted to explore Asa's character more. This is important for me because I've really struggled trying to figure out what his personality should be. (In fact I have 3 or 4 different versions of chapter 3 lying around, all of which change his personality and backstory dramatically.) So here's Asa. In my head, he's the guy who embodies the phrase "Curiosity killed the cat", someone who sticks his nose where it doesn't belong, does a bunch of stupid stuff, and ends up causing alot of trouble because of it.

Yet since he's supposed to be the "fun" character, I still wanted him to do things that are light-hearted and make people laugh. Or just run away cringing lol. The point being this is a guy who DOES stuff, as opposed to sit around brooding all day like Mokou. I wanted to have fun with Asa's character, a good break from the drab and emotional tones of Mokou and Reisen. So the whole "love confession" section was done in spirit of that.

This leads me to my final point.

3\. I wanted to finally cement for myself what the theme of this story will be. The way I did it is a little on the nose I admit, but I do like the idea. When something happens, it doesn't just affect the ones directly involved. It affects everyone around them as well. Tewi, Reisen, Marisa, Reimu. Everyone is involved some way or another.

Originally I also wanted to make Reisen's fight against Asa and Old Man Kirisame to be much more epic and to take muuuch longer. But I decided against it because I needed to emphasize the power gap between a trained military Lunarian and two people who have no magic.

That being said. I don't think we're even nearing the end of this incident. The pieces are all in place. It's about time I've gotten to the real fight. I'll try to bring out the next chapter soon!

Happy Post-Holidays everyone! And have a Happy New Year too!


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